The Importance of a Name
by LPK9
Summary: Darth Vader. A dead but talkative Senator. And a young mechanic. Very AU, 15 years after the rise of the Galactic Empire. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

_Ryloth_

 _15 years after the rise of the Empire_

The black shuttle dropped the last few meters and settled gracefully on the landing pad.

A few minutes later, with the ship shut down and prepped for the next take-off, the tall figure of Lord Darth Vader strode down the ramp toward the glowing sign of Zenton's Repairs and Sales.

But then he stopped abruptly and walked slowly to the edge of the landing pad to stare at the bright horizon. The sun was just setting, and the mountains of Ryloth rose in the far distance. The heat of the day was giving way to increased wind and lower temperatures.

He sighed softly, quietly enough that the vocoder would not pick it up, not that anyone else was about right now.

What was this? He felt odd today. Repeated checks of his mechanical systems yielded no issues. And deep down, in the part of his soul that still held a vestige of Anakin Skywalker, he knew it wasn't mechanical. It was emotional. Spiritual perhaps.

His masked head shifted to the northwest. In the distance, barely within sight of his augmented vision, smoke rose into the sky. A Free Ryloth base (or building – it hardly qualified as a base) had been discovered and bombed into desolation an hour ago. It was another step towards complete subjugation of this planet for the Empire.

It should have filled the Dark Lord with a sense of satisfaction, but for some reason this time he felt only a numb void where the Dark Energies of conquest and destruction usually raged within him.

This was his eighth trip to Ryloth in the last 10 years. He had faithfully destroyed 7 prior bases (or buildings), but new fighters, and new bases, continued to poke up like dangerous Macaab mushrooms in spring.

It all seemed so pointless today.

What was wrong with him?

The Senator (he could – sometimes – bear to think about her when he called her 'the Senator' in his mind) would no doubt have her own opinion. Of course she would be completely disgusted with him, with his Master, with this behemoth of an Empire which had spread across the galaxy, subjugating planets and races. But she would know, even now, 15 years after his near death and rebirth into the suit that kept him alive, what was going on in his heart and soul.

Darth Vader had no doubt of that. She had been brilliant and insightful, the Senator.

He closed his eyes briefly, then raised his black mask still higher. His capital ship, the _Devastator_ , glittered in the sky like a gracefully moving star. Up there, captains and lieutenants and Stormtroopers and droids were toiling and working, the ship a hum of activity. On the ground, technicians were even now combing the destroyed camp of the so called "Free Ryloth" movement, seeking information about other traitors both on and off planet.

He sighed again. 'Free Ryloth.' The fools should know that freedom was not the panacea that they thought it was. Freedom meant inefficiency, and often sloth, and confusion, and foolish politicians rising higher than their intelligence warranted to spend agonizing hours arguing in elegant chambers while the troops on the ground suffered and died.

All he wanted, all the Emperor wanted, was peace. If only they could understand that, the members both of the Free Ryloth Movement and the newly emerging Rebel Alliance. If only they could submit to the majesty of Palpatine. Then the fighting and death and destruction and pain across the galaxy would be over.

(" _Really, Ani?_ " the voice of his long dead wife seemed to ring in his mind, " _Do you really think that Palpatine desires the best for the peoples of the galaxy? If you are going to be a monster, at least be an honest monster. Palpatine cares only for his own total supremacy and power. He cares nothing about the humans and aliens of the galaxy, and he will use and abuse them to the end of his days.")_

He snarled softly and turned resolutely. He hated when the Senator talked to him that way. She used to love him, he still loved her … even their arguments about politics were cloaked in love.

But she was dead, at his hand.

He focused on his breathing for 5 cycles, and strode firmly toward the door which led to the underground chambers of Zenton's Spaceship Repairs and Sales.

As the elevator descended, painfully slowly, the Senator spoke again.

" _You're having a midlife crisis, Ani._ "

He knew, from bitter experience, that arguing with the Senator was pointless. Nevertheless, he did.

" _I am_ not _having a midlife crisis. I am powerful, rich, esteemed, and one of the two strongest Force users in the galaxy. I have everything I could ever want."_

 _"_ _Do you?"_

The voice sounded vaguely sad now.

He found himself responding with hasty contrition, " _No, Senator, of course I don't. I desperately want you and the ..._ "

He forced himself to stop. He couldn't risk thinking about the child right now. The child who had never drawn a breath because ...

Thankfully, the elevator door slid open now, though slowly. It was surprising, given its owner, that the elevator wasn't in better condition. But no doubt the erratic genius that was Rycker Zenton always found something better to do than work on his aging elevator.

He took a firm step into the small front room of Zenton's establishment, then halted in surprise.

Rycker Zenton was leaning over a table, clearly in the midst of working his magic on the small droid on the counter in front of him. He was, as usual, dressed casually in a mechanic's uniform that had seen better days.

Zenton straightened (he was middle aged, with graying hair and substantial height, though he wasn't nearly as tall as Vader) and nodded his head courteously though not obsequiously.

"Greetings, Lord Vader. I thought I might see you today."

Vader, unusually, spoke without thinking.

"You're fat."

(" _I can be rude with impunity,_ " he commented to the Senator. She, who had combined incredible grace and kindness with years of training in etiquette, remained eloquently silent.)

Zenton smiled a little, obviously not bothered in the least.

(Perhaps on Ryloth being heavy was a sign of wealth and status? Vader couldn't remember. He didn't bother to remember such things.)

"I am indeed, Lord Vader. You last visited my establishment 458 days ago, and I have gained 35.3 kg since then."

Vader blinked behind his mask. The instant recall of the numbers in question was not a surprise, but ...

"Why?"

Zenton strode over to a nearby cleaning station and began removing the accumulated grease and dirt from his hands.

"I like to eat, Lord Vader, and in the last 18 months Nabooian blue crab has become readily available for a reasonable price. Plus I've got a source of chocolate covered Zella nuts now. And a new pilot so I don't have to crawl into those tiny cockpits anymore. So yes, I've packed on the kilos."

Vader found himself strangely invested in this absurd conversation.

"Surely that is unhealthy, Zenton."

The man's face drooped sadly, "You're right, of course, Lord Vader. Completely right. My med droid is upset with me. I'm going to lose some weight starting in a couple of weeks. Next week is the most important festival in the Rylothian year, and the food is amazing. After that I'll work on it."

Vader doubted it, but it was hardly his concern except that it would be regrettable if Zenton dropped dead from a heart attack.

For Rycker Zenton was a certifiable mechanical genius. Vader still remembered his first visit here almost 12 years ago, when the magnitude of the man's gifting became clear. Vader knew that he was himself a brilliant mechanic, so the realization that this man was even more talented than he was had been quite startling.

Zenton would have potentially made a fine addition to the Imperial engineering corps, but Vader had chosen not to forcibly recruit him. The man's ability was of an unusual kind, with sporadic bursts of glorious insight mixed in with plodding days of normal repairs and, it appeared, eating blue crab. To have put Zenton in a laboratory and pressured him to produce at a steady rate might well have quenched the inventive fire within the man.

So, Zenton worked quietly on Ryloth, building and repairing spaceships, droids, and other machines. And when Vader was on planet, he usually visited Zenton's workshop. Not for the sake of the Imperial Engineering Corps., but on his own behalf.

One of the few things that gave him pleasure these days was his ships. Many of Zenton's most brilliant ideas and creations seemed perfectly suited for a gifted Force Sensitive pilot. Vader had made his own adjustments to many of his personal ships, and to his Advanced TIE, based on ideas from Zenton.

(Zenton was actually mildly Force Sensitive. Not enough for training, and not enough that Vader felt any obligation to put him on any list of Force Sensitives, but Vader had no doubt that much of the man's mechanical ability stemmed from his rather esoteric connection to the Force.)

"I think you'll find some of my latest work to be of interest, Lord Vader," Zenton said, turning away from the cleansing area, his hands now scrubbed adequately.

"I suggest you show me then," Vader returned with slight impatience, "I have limited time."

Zenton nodded and waddled over to another elevator, which deposited both men, a minute later, in a medium sized, rather cluttered workshop.

The Sith stepped forward and gazed around. The floor was filled with engines and spacecraft parts of various kinds. The atmosphere was redolent with the smell of engine grease and plasma discharge, no doubt from shielding tests.

Oddly, there was an unusual aura in the Force here. Vader's brow furrowed slightly, then smoothed. Zenton was in his element here, so likely his connection to the Force was more noticeable.

Zenton looked around with pleasure, then glanced at the Dark Lord. Vader was intimidating and downright scary, but the man was at least a supremely accomplished mechanic. Given how many morons Rycker had to deal with on a daily basis, it was a pleasure to talk with Vader so long as he remembered not to annoy the Dark Lord to the point of having his neck snapped, or his breathing impeded, or anything of that nature.

"Here, my Lord," he said with a pleased gesture, "Is something I've been working on with shielding. Of course firing speed and shielding are often at odds when in the midst of a battle since both require power, but I've been able to add a modification which allows the ship's computer to ascertain ..."

The words flowed on, and Vader flowed with it. For a moment, he felt a twinge of envy for Zenton. He too had lost himself in machines as a child. Of late, his duties had limited how much time he could spend tinkering.

"... of course, this is no good for normal TIE's since they don't have shields, but I know your Advanced ..."

There was a sudden, loud scraping noise beyond the east wall, and both men stilled.

Zenton frowned, then shook his head with irritation and a twinge of concern, and strode rapidly over and through the east exit door. Vader followed him into a docking bay, though he remained near the door as Zenton stalked onto the bay floor.

The docking bay was surprisingly large, though lavishly filled with 6 craft in various states of repair. The spacecraft exit for repaired vehicles was, as Vader knew from previous visits, out a cliff face so the ships shot over a 50 meter drop to a stony valley below.

A small craft, battered, oily, and apparently held together with spit and tape, was sitting near the exit of the bay. It was smoking slightly and the ship had clipped the edge of the bay door, leaving score marks on both the door and the side panels of the ship.

The top popped open and a ridiculously short man stood up.

No, not a man, a boy.

Zenton stepped forward and yelled in mild irritation and concern, "What do you think you're doing, Luke? Destroying my ship? Are you all right?"

The boy grinned cheekily and quickly slid down the side of the craft, using nearly invisible handholds to slow his descent. When he landed on the floor, he turned toward Zenton and brushed an errant lock of hair away from his eyes.

"I'm fine, Boss. And maybe if you'd done a better job locking down that stabilizer, sir, I wouldn't have had a problem. I was testing the new guidance system when the stabilizer broke loose and the ship started bucking like a terrified bantha. I barely made it back. There was also a problem with the engine; it was overheating, which isn't encouraging on a cold night. We'll have to dig into the wiring."

Zenton shook his head sorrowfully and took another pace towards the boy before obviously remembering his terrifying guest. He turned suddenly towards the Dark Lord, a look of apology on his face.

But Vader wasn't paying attention. His eyes were now on the boy, short, slight, with dark blond hair and very blue eyes. He was wearing typical mechanic's togs.

And he was a brilliant Light in the Force.

Under the mask, Darth Vader frowned in bewilderment. Stars and galaxies and nebula. Who was this child? And why hadn't he felt him before?

A moment later, he realized he _had_ sensed the boy. But his own ennui, and irritation with life, and his awareness of Zenton's mild Force sensitivity, had clouded his senses.

It was a foolish mistake, and not one he would make again with this boy, whoever he was. Though the child was no threat; he was obviously not trained at all.

(" _Pay attention, Anakin,"_ the Senator suddenly said in his head.

" _That is no longer my name_ ," he growled back, " _But I_ am _paying attention!_ " He wasn't stupid!)

"My apologies, Lord Vader," Zenton said, spinning around with a slight wobble to walk back toward him, "Obviously we have a little problem here but we'll deal with it later."

He turned back to the boy, who was frowning unhappily at the dents on the craft, and said more gently, "Luke, we'll fix this up in the morning. Go get some food and then you should be off to bed now, it's getting late."

The boy rolled his eyes but took a few obedient steps towards the north exit door before Vader managed to get the words out.

"On the contrary, stay. Who are you?"

Zenton and the boy exchanged surprised glances, but the youth obediently took a few steps closer.

"I'm Luke ..."

"Luke Lars," Zenton interrupted, with a ferocious frown at the boy, "My new pilot and apprentice mechanic. I was getting too portly to fit into cockpits and then Luke showed up and it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for us. Luke's an amazing pilot for his age."

There were waves of disapproval, and even outrage, emanating from the boy, so strongly that Vader could almost see the ripples in the Force.

Obviously something in Zenton's words had upset the boy, but it wasn't clear what.

"Luke Lars?" Vader repeated. Something about that name nagged at him.

The boy huffed and folded his arms, "No, not Luke Lars ..."

"This," Zenton said irascibly, again interrupting the boy, "Is not the time, or the place, Luke. This is _Lord Darth Vader_. He knows a lot about criminals past and present. We have had this discussion ..."

"My father," the youth interrupted with blazing eyes, "Was not a criminal!"

"I know that," the mechanic answered, passing a weary hand over his eyes, "But he has the same name as a notorious criminal and throwing that surname around is not appropriate, nor will I allow it in this shop. We have talked about this before, more than once."

"And I told you," the boy returned stubbornly with a lift of his chin, "That on Tatooine, names matter. I will not deny my name just because some stupid criminal shared it a long time ago!"

The two glowered at one another, a rather comical sight given that the inventor was truly gargantuan and his young pilot a spindly child of no more than 12. Vader found himself in the surprising position of being a mediator.

"I am familiar with Tatooine culture," he said carefully, "And certainly young Luke is correct, that family names matter. Nor is there any crime in sharing the name of a criminal."

The boy smiled a little, "See, Lord Vader agrees with me."

Zenton raised his eyes to the heavens in exasperation, "Fine. It's on your head. I have no part of it."

Young Luke frowned slightly, then turned directly toward Lord Vader.

"My name," he said proudly, "Is Luke Skywalker."

There was a stunned pause.

(" _Surprise!"_ the Senator crowed cheerfully.)

"Luke Skywalker," Vader finally said in a measured tone, "Son of ..."

"Anakin Skywalker," the boy returned, his chin jutting out fiercely, "But not _that_ Anakin Skywalker."

Vader narrowed his hidden eyes. Here was a Force sensitive boy of age 12 or so, from Tatooine, saying that he was the son of ... of ...

He turned to Zenton and fiercely commanded, "Go."

Rycker opened his mouth, closed it, cast a worried look toward Luke, and obediently shuffled out of the docking bay.

Leaving a bewildered Darth Vader (in the midst of a midlife crisis) with a small youth who claimed to be his son.

Or something.

"Which Anakin Skywalker are you referring to, Young One?"

The boy sighed in an aggrieved way that would have been insolent if it hadn't been rather adorable, "You know, the Jeedi, or whatever he was ..."

"Jedi," Vader corrected automatically.

"Yeah, _he_ wasn't my father. My father was a navigator on a freighter who died about the time I was born. They just have the same name, that's all. I mean, it's a big galaxy. There have to be lots of people with that name."

Vader considered this for a long moment, then spoke carefully, "The Jedi Anakin Skywalker was from Tatooine. It seems an unlikely coincidence."

Luke blinked like a surprised baby owl and tilted his head to one side, "Was he? Well, maybe Grandmother Shmi heard about him and admired him and named my father after him. I mean, I know he was a criminal but sometimes on Tatooine criminals are venerated. Did he hate the Hutts, the Jeedi? Because ..."

"Grandmother Shmi?" Vader interrupted. His heart would have been pounding if hadn't been so highly regulated. As it was, it pumped steadily but he was aware of a feeling of dissociation. There was a strange buzz in his head, and the sound of ringing bells in the far distance. Was he really here? Was this all a dream?

"Yeah," the boy sighed, "I never knew her. She was taken by Tuskens and killed."

Luke brushed a hand against his eyes, "Just like they took me, only I survived, barely."

Vader breathed four times and then asked the obvious question, "How old are you, Luke Skywalker?"

The child looked surprised, "I'm 15."

Vader jerked slightly.

(" _Yes, Anakin, our son is 15!"_ the Senator commented acidly.)

The young Skywalker looked defensive, "I know I'm ... uh ... short. I'm sure I'll have a growth spurt at some point."

The young face twisted dubiously, "Maybe."

More heavy breathing, and then Vader looked around. He needed to sit down.

With a gesture of his hand, he reached out for a large chair at the side of the hanger. It lifted into the air and moved gracefully over to where Vader was standing. Luke gazed at this apparent miracle with disbelief and awe.

Vader, on the other hand, was merely thankful for Zenton's additional kilos. This chair actually looked strong enough to hold the Dark Lord.

He sat down. And sure enough, the chair didn't break. This put him nearly at eye level of the youngster who was claiming to be his son.

Which was impossible. Because the Senator had died at his hand, with the child unborn.

 _("So Ani, maybe you don't actually know what happened on Mustafar, hmmm?")_

Vader forced himself to rein in his upheaval and distress, to be logical, "Let's start at the beginning. Tell me about your life until now."

The young Skywalker looked startled, "Um, why, Lord Vader? I'm just a mechanic."

"I will ask the questions, Boy. And I expect every detail. To conceal any pertinent experience in your life would be most unwise," Vader growled back. He focused on restraining his impatience and eagerness. He would get far more from this oblivious youth by staying calm.

A blink, and then an obedient nod, "Ok. I grew up on a moisture farm outside Tosche Station. I was raised by my aunt and uncle, Owen and Beru Lars. I'm an orphan; my father died before my birth, and my mom in childbirth. Um, I don't know how much you know about moisture farming ..."

"Enough to know it is respectable and painfully dull," Vader replied, "So let us move on. I would like to know how you ended up here."

A shadow crossed the boy's face, "Sandpeople, I mean Tusken Raiders, came to the farm a little more than a year ago. My aunt and uncle were gone to Anchorhead to buy parts for our moisture 'vaporators and the Raiders probably knew that. My friend Biggs and I tried ... we tried to fight them off but there were too many of them. They abducted us ..."

The blue eyes were looking down at the ground now, "It was, uh, a bad few days in the Tusken camp. But after less than a week, an agent from Jabba the Hutt showed up and bought me and Biggs and three other kids and teens who had been snatched from other outlying farms."

A shuddering breath, and the boy continued somewhat unsteadily, "I was a slave for about a week."

The youth looked up now, his feet shifting around with obvious discomfort.

"Grandma Shmi was a slave most of her life, and my father as well until he won his freedom. I was the first freeborn Skywalker. I would not ... I would not submit to slavery, even if I had to die attempting to escape. I owed that to Grandmother, to my father, to the Skywalker name. I managed to steal a wand off a spiced up Twi'lek guard, turn off my embedded slave transmitter, steal a landspeeder from the palace and flee while Jabba and his court were in a drunken sleep after one of their orgies."

His expression steeled, "I made it to Mos Eisley and stowed away on Rycker's ship. He discovered me on his spacecraft when I was in hyperspace."

The blue eyes glowed now, "I can't thank him enough. He gave me passage to Ryloth and agreed to let me work off the fee. Since then, I've been piloting for him and doing some mechanical work. He pays me in food and shelter plus a small salary. Someday I'll move on, but for now I'm content to stay here."

There was another sigh, and the boy continued, "Master Rycker even got word to my aunt and uncle that I'm safe, though he concealed my locale just in case anyone managed to tap into the message. I'll never go back to Tatooine.

"Don't you wish to see your family again?" Vader demanded bluntly.

The child nodded, his eyes tearing up, "I would give anything to see them again. But after the Tusken raid, and after my escape, it wasn't safe for any of us to be on Tatooine. Jabba doesn't take even the flight of an insignificant slave lightly ... there is a bounty on my head now, not a big one, but worth the while of many a poverty stricken individual. My family somehow made it off planet, and for now we need to stay apart. I know that."

Luke looked at the Dark Lord gravely, "I am happy they are safe. Here I am all right, so long as no one working for Jabba finds me. And I don't think they will. Not that many people come from Tatooine to Ryloth. I'm just thankful Master Zenton was making a supply trip there when I made a run for it."

There was a long pause, and then the child shrugged, "So that's my story, my Lord. May I go? I'd like to clean up that ship a little before I go to bed..."

"No, you may not."

The giant frame was trembling now, and Vader finally allowed himself to reach out and touch the boy's hands, to run his fingers up and down his spindly but muscular arms.

"You are ... I am ..."

This produced more alarm than anything else Vader had done.

Luke stepped back, eyes wide.

Vader breathed a couple of cycles, "Luke, you are right. Names matter. I ... I am Anakin Skywalker, your father."

 _("Good for you, Anakin!"_ she said lovingly.)

/-/

 _An hour later ..._

 _Zenton's front workshop_

Rycker Zenton leaned over the droid he was cleaning, dispirited.

He wasn't a particularly warm hearted person; he couldn't afford to be. But he had grown attached to young Luke Lars. Even in his mind, he didn't call him Skywalker. He knew of the Hero With No Fear, and carrying that name just was not safe. If only he could have convinced the boy but ...

Zenton shook his head dismally. He did know enough about Tatooine culture to realize the importance of names, of carrying them on bravely. The boy was too loyal to his dead father for his own good.

There was a slight click as the elevator opened.

Zenton turned around with a feeling of dread, only to have the dread morph into incredulous surprise.

Darth Vader strode out of the elevator with his gigantic arm around Luke Skywalker. The boy was looking up with glowing stars in his eyes, and was talking a mile a minute.

"Would you really? Biggs was my very best friend. I mean, he might have been ransomed but his family probably doesn't know that he was sold by the Tuskens to Jabba. I hope ... if we could get him out of there I would be so grateful."

"You can have anything you want, Luke, I promise you that. And I cannot think of anything I would enjoy more than conducting aggressive negotiations with the Hutt Lords."

Zenton was drooling in shock as the Dark Lord strode over to him.

"Master Zenton, my profound thanks for your care for my son."

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh ..."

The helmet tipped forward, "Given that you saved him from slavery and death, I am in your debt. And since I will be leaving the employ of the Empire shortly, I'm afraid you will need to leave as well as Palpatine will no doubt wish to know what happened here."

"Uhhhhhhh ..."

"I will be sending you a credit chip worth 6 million credits within the hour. I trust that will be enough for you to start again in another locale."

This time, Zenton just gaped openly.

Luke reluctantly let loose of his father and stepped forward to give the Rycker an enthusiastic hug.

"Lord Vader is my father, isn't that exciting? He used to be Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Who was really the only one – my father never was a navigator. It's kind of complicated. But like Father says, thank you. Thank you for not throwing me out the airlock ..."

"I would never have done that, young Luke," Zenton said, reaching up a hand to ruffle the blond hair, "Your courage in escaping Hutt slavery deserved its reward."

Another glowing look, and the boy stepped back toward his father. The tall cyborg placed a gentle hand on his much shorter son and nodded at Rycker before guiding the youth toward the elevator.

The door shut behind them. Rycker looked around a bit dismally, but comforted himself with the credit chip that would be his soon. He had plenty of possible places to go, the galaxy was his Nabooian crab, and with 6 million credits he could buy any parts that he wanted.

/-

 _Vader's shuttle_

 _In flight toward the_ Devastator

"Father," Luke said, his voice still awestruck at being able to say that word, "Have you heard of the planet Alderaan?"

"Yes, Son, certainly. It's a Core World."

"Do you think we can go there sometime? I think that's where my Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are."

Vader turned, regarded the boy briefly, nodded, "Indeed, we will go there soon, after we have freed your friend Darklighter."

Luke smiled and leaned back, his face pointing toward the stars.

And Vader, Anakin Skywalker, leaned back as well, his eyes longing to shed tears though they could not.

He had found his purpose in life. He had found his son.

(" _I know you will take good care of him, Ani_ ," the Senator said, and then added with a teasing note, " _And remember how you thought our baby was a girl? I suggest you keep your eyes open on Alderaan ._..")

 _The End_

 _Author Note: I think this really is just a one shot. It is one of those ideas that leaped into my head and I wrote it down. For those who wonder, my idea is that Luke got captured by Tuskens, sold into slavery, and escaped before Kenobi could rescue him. Then Obi-Wan took the Lars to Alderaan and there could be an exciting reunion of some kind in the near future for the Skywalkers. Vader will figure out how to evade the Emperor somehow. He's a smart guy. Oh, and I am personally an enthusiastic addict of dark chocolate covered almonds, and I'm guessing chocolate covered Zella nuts are just as good._


	2. Chapter 2

_Author Note: Ok, I decided to continue this! Probably 3 or 4 chapters total._

 _Tatooine_

 _Jabba the Hutt's palace_

 _6 days later_

Biggs Darklighter took a shallow breath through his mouth. A scarf covered his nose and mouth and that helped, but _still_. They were almost done, almost done, almost done.

"We only have 30 more minutes, Biggs," Jak 'Shaak' Windspinner said, fear in his voice.

"It's Ok, Shaak," Biggs said reassuringly, "We'll be done in time."

On the other side of the great door, the rancor suddenly flung its large body against the metal, causing a resounding boom.

Both boys flinched, then gathered their flagging strength to tackle the last pile of rancor droppings.

"What is _that_?" Shaak muttered softly.

Biggs shot the item a quick glance before lifting it with his tool, "Gamorrean guard armor. Better to be shoveling it than to be in it, you know?"

He kept his voice as light as possible. It was an old, and macabre, slave joke.

"Galaxies and stars, Biggs ..." Shaak said in a shaken voice, "You know it's just a matter of time before it's me."

"Shaak, calm down and focus on the job," Biggs said, putting all his emotional strength into keeping his voice reassuring, "We've made it a year and we'll make it another year. Our families ..."

"Don't know where we are ... and even if they did, you know what happened to Skywalker when he tried to run," Shaak responded miserably.

Biggs nodded, even as he struggled to keep his spirits up, for Shaak's sake as much as his own. Shaak was 3 years younger than he was, the second youngest teen snatched by the Tuskens more than a year ago and then sold into slavery to Jabba. Biggs had taken it upon himself to help and protect the younger youth as much as possible in the hellhole that was Jabba the Hutt's fortress.

Shaak was actually several months older than Luke Skywalker, but Skywalker ... and here Biggs smiled a little to himself sadly. Skywalker had a vibrant and determined personality unlike anyone he had ever met before. That boy had not submitted to slavery, had spent his entire week of slavery plotting to escape and had done so.

Two days after Luke had disappeared, the chief overseer had gathered all the slaves together and shown them the remains of a young man he claimed was Luke Skywalker. The head of the corpse had exploded from a slave transmitter being discharged, but the general size and appearance of the body was enough to convince most of the slaves.

Biggs was not convinced. He had been Skywalker's best friend and he didn't think the remains matched his friend. He had hope that somewhere out there, Luke was free.

Biggs wrinkled his nose as he lifted the last shovelful of loathsome rancor excrement into the chute which led outside the palace walls and into a storage container. The droppings were actually brown gold to some of the farmers, as the stinky stuff was filled with healthy nutrients which helped fertilize the few crops that could grow on this wasteland. The knowledge that the poop had value didn't make this job any easier, especially since the rancor's keeper had assured them if they weren't done in 5 hours, the rancor would be released back into this part of its pen and, well, it hadn't been fed in several days.

"Let's go, Shaak," Biggs said quietly, walking over to the caged and locked door. The fat keeper standing there looked in through the bars carefully to see if they had finished the job adequately, nodded, then opened the door and gestured them through even as he frowned in distaste at the smell emanating from the two slaves.

Biggs carefully pulled the scarf off his face and stepped into the sonic cleaner. One of the very few benefits of this putrid job was that he was allowed to get cleaned off. Even Jabba, who seemed to enjoy disgusting smells, didn't want his slaves stinking of rancor excrement.

After 5 minutes, he stepped out, and waited wearily while Shaak had his turn.

Silently, they both climbed the set of back stairs that led to the small and stifling slave quarters. Their evening meal would be served soon and even after hours in the rancor area, they were hungry. They were always hungry.

They approached a landing where 3 corridors branched off, one of which led to Jabba's throne room. Suddenly, a tall figure clad in Mandalorian armor and helmet stepped onto the landing facing them.

Biggs stiffened slightly and stopped. He recognized the man as Boba Fett, a noted bounty hunter who often worked for Jabba. Behind him, Shaak bumped into Biggs and stumbled to a stop, only now noticing through his exhaustion that the way to the slave quarters was blocked.

The bounty hunter gazed at the two slaves thoughtfully, then spoke in his modified voice, "Biggs Darklighter? Jak Windspinner?"

Biggs cringed back, startled. He wasn't called by his name here. He had a number, not a name. How did Fett know his name?

"Yes, that's us," Shaak said, surprised.

Fett nodded and gestured toward the corridor leading to Jabba's throne room.

"You're needed. Come."

Biggs opened his mouth in half protest, then closed it. They were totally exhausted to the point of nearly fainting from fatigue, but it wouldn't be the first time that the fear of death had given him renewed strength.

He obediently followed the bounty hunter down the dank and fetid corridor, his mind too weary to process why Fett was giving him orders instead of one of Jabba's personal staff.

Abruptly a door slid open and the bounty hunter directed the slaves into a room off the corridor. Biggs groaned inwardly; this was a large storeroom with an access corridor to the outside of the palace where slaves were frequently required to carry heavy items from supply skiffs into the storeroom. He was tired, and he knew Shaak was even more so.

The two young men stepped into the storage chamber which was dimly lit, with a strange repetitive whooshing sound emanating from one corner.

The bounty hunter stepped in after them and shut the door, just as the lights brightened.

Both Biggs and Shaak gaped in astonishment. Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, stood against one wall, right next to the door which led to the outside corridor. Darklighter wondered briefly if he had lost his mind. Darth Vader? Here?

Belatedly, Biggs noticed a much shorter, cloaked figure at Vader's side, who now threw off his hood and rushed forward.

"Biggs!"

It was Luke Skywalker.

"Luke?!" Biggs choked out incredulously.

"Biggs!" Luke said again, throwing his arms around his taller friend, "It's so good to see you."

Biggs flinched in spite of himself, as Luke's hug pressed on bruises from a recent beating.

Luke stepped back in distress, obviously picking up on his friend's pain, "I'm sorry. Stars, Biggs, you've lost so much weight."

"They don't feed us really well here, Luke," Biggs returned, his eyes now on the Sith Lord who had followed Luke over in a strangely protective manner.

"Good work, bounty hunter," the iconic bass voice rumbled, familiar even on Tatooine.

"Thank you, Lord Vader," the hunter responded coolly.

"The other slaves?"

"They are mostly in their quarters and the slave chips will be deactivated as soon as you let me know that Jabba is dead. I have boosters set up throughout the palace to augment the deactivation transmission in case any slaves are in unusual places. All chips respond to the same frequency, which is fortuitous."

"Oh, Biggs, Shaak, stand still for a minute," Luke said, lifting up an instrument in his hand.

As if in a dream, Biggs stilled and Luke turned on the wand.

There were a few beeps, and Luke nodded, turned to Shaak, and repeated his movements.

Fett ran a probe over both youths, then nodded briskly, "Chips are deactivated."

"Watch these three carefully, bounty hunter, and if you are aware of danger, take them out the alternate entrance to your ship" the Dark Lord ordered.

He stepped forward now to loom over the armored figure while lifting a menacing finger, "Your life is forfeit if harm comes to the boy."

The bounty hunter seemed unconcerned, "I assure you, Lord Vader, there is no cause for alarm or concern. I'll keep him safe."

"Father, I'll be fine," Luke said, causing Biggs to nearly have a heart attack on the spot.

The slight teen stepped forward to place small hands on the armored arms of the giant, "You be careful, please. Jabba's got a bunch of guards and ..."

"It will not be a problem, Son," the vocoder sounding both amused and moved.

"Ok," Luke replied, brushing his hair out of his face. (Vader made a note that the child would need a haircut when there was time.)

"Oh, and Father?"

"Yes, Luke?"

"They aren't all bad, you know? The people in Jabba's Throne Room, I mean."

Vader looked down at his son's face, so much like that of the young Anakin Skywalker, but with the gentle expression of the child's mother Padme.

"I will keep that in mind, Luke."

The Dark Lord strode out of the door and Fett promptly shut and locked it behind him.

"You seem too nice for Vader's kid," he commented.

Luke was looking at the door which had closed behind his father, and turned to the bounty hunter, shrugging, "I was raised by good people, and I know what it's like here. People get caught up in situations beyond their control."

Biggs finally managed to croak out the question that had been lurching around in his mind, "Darth Vader is your _father_?"

Skywalker turned and smiled, his eyes taking on a joyous glow, "Yes! He found me on Ryloth about a week ago. We got to ... umm ... _talking_ and it turns out he is Anakin Skywalker, and he is my father. Isn't that amazing? So now I'm with him, and I told him I really wanted to get you and the others abducted by the Tuskens out of here, and he agreed."

Biggs brain was crashing around like a crazed zucca boar being stalked by a krayt dragon. It was Shaak who managed the next question.

"What's Lord Vader going to say to Jabba about us, Luke? Do you think he'll convince Jabba to let us go?"

Luke looked surprised, "I'm not sure he is going to _say_ anything at all. Father is going to kill him."

/-

Vader didn't say a word as he swept out of the corridor and into Jabba's Throne Room.

It was a fairly quiet moment, as Jabba had thrown one of his orgies earlier in the day and now, as the suns set, most of Jabba's court, alien and human alike, were drunk or spiced up.

Jabba was himself sitting on his throne, 800 kg of bulbous green glory. His large eyes were closed and his small rat-like companion was curled up on his tail, with a mournful slave girl, a teen Twi'lek by the looks of her, held by a chain around her neck against the fat flank of her captor.

Vader held out a gloved hand and the two locked doors into the throne room slid open.

He was, briefly, transported back to Mustafar, when he had closed and locked the doors on the Separatist leaders in order to destroy them all. This time, he was willing to let the minions escape. Jabba was the dragon's head of the Hutt Clans here on Tatooine, and Jabba had had the temerity to buy his son as a slave. And Jabba would pay now.

The lightsaber hummed to life, a red blade of destruction, just as Jabba straightened himself and opened his eyes in astonishment.

The Hutt managed to yelp just once as Vader leaped across the Throne Room floor and sank his lightsaber hilt deep into the space between Jabba's eyes.

There was a flurry of sudden activity and the guards began firing their weapons, not very accurately. Vader jumped back and stretched out through the Force, channeling his outrage at his son's treatment, at the pain in Biggs Darklighter, at slavery in general, into the power of the Dark Side of the Force. The blaster shots that came close to the Sith deflected off an invisible shield, and Vader spun around as if in a lethal dance, destroying the guards and other scum who dared to attack him.

There were not many. Jabba died quickly, as a lightsaber strike directly into the brain was far from healthy even for a gargantuan Hutt. And once Jabba's servants and minions realized he was dead, most fled.

Within a few minutes, the Great Throne Room of Jabba the Hutt was empty save for the corpses on the floor and one terrified Twi'lek slave girl, who was still held by a chain of durasteel in the clenched hands of her dead captor.

She stared at the Dark Lord, eyes wide with fear.

And again Darth Vader was transported back, this time to his own early childhood when he, a child of only a few years of age, had been enslaved with his mother by Gardulla the Hutt, both with slave collars around their own necks.

It had been decades ago, a different life, yet so very real and painful at this moment.

Silently, the lightsaber blade scythed toward the girl, who shrank back in terror. The chain broke and the girl, curled up awaiting the death blow, widened her eyes in surprise.

"Go, girl." Vader said, turning toward the room where his son waited, "Your transmitter has been deactivated. You are free."

/-

 _Six hours later_

 _The Darklighter main farm_

Huff Darklighter stood outside the front of the home with his daughter, Dera, at his side.

"You see it, Father?" she asked.

Huff nodded grimly. It was well into night, and there was indeed a strange glow in the northeast, where Jabba the Hutt's fortress lay.

"They are up to something, Dera, but there isn't a great deal we can learn at this hour since ..."

He stopped abruptly as he noticed a group of lights in the sky growing closer. He and Dera stared up, both fingering their heavy duty blasters. It was a ship, a small one based on the pattern of lights, but it was too dark to see any other details.

A ship clearly planning to land in front of the Darklighter home.

For a moment, Huff considered waking up the occupants in the house but it shouldn't be necessary. He did get occasional visitors as one of the wealthier farmers in the area, though the middle of the night was a bit odd.

Most likely it was someone with news about the Jabba the Hutt situation. It was always wise to know what the Hutt Lord was doing, both from a financial and survival standpoint.

The ship settled into the sands 30 meters from the two Darklighters, and a minute later the exit ramp lowered onto the sand.

Huff took a couple of steps forward and to the left, shielding Dera just in case. She muttered indignantly, but stayed back.

Dimly, Huff could see a cloaked figure moving toward him.

"Father?"

Huff froze in shock at that voice, even as Dera shrieked incredulously, "Biggs?!"

She was running forward now and Biggs, yes, it was Biggs, lurched forward into her arms.

"Dera! Dera! It's so good to see you!"

"Biggs, oh Biggs!"

Huff's limbs finally unlocked and he was running forward now to look into the face of his haggard, thin, but very much alive 18 year old son, Biggs.

"I don't, I don't believe it," he gasped out, lifting Biggs into an enormous hug. An instant later, he relaxed his grip as his son gasped in pain.

"Are you hurt, Son?" he demanded in anxious horror.

"I've got some bruises, Father," Biggs explained, "But I'm Ok."

"We should go inside to discuss the situation at length," a new voice stated.

Darklighter jumped in shock, his hand reaching for his blaster. Standing behind his son, heretofore unnoticed, was a looming 2 meters tall, black armor, loudly breathing figure. _Darth Vader_ was here?

"Father, it's Ok," Biggs said hastily, "Lord Vader rescued me."

Darklighter pulled himself together with immense difficulty.

Mustering his courage, he stared at the terrifying cyborg in front of him and finally said in a broken voice, "Thank you for saving my son."

Then, clearing his throat, he added, "Yes, let's get inside."

/-

Four hours later, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader made the jump into lightspeed and walked into the main cabin of his ship, the bland but highly augmented freighter _Stalisti_.

He had sensed Luke fall asleep as they'd climbed out of Tatooine's atmosphere and into space.

Indeed, the child was sprawled on the floor, a pillow tucked under his head. Obviously Luke could have slept in his far more comfortable bed, but in the week that they had been together, Luke had shown a strong predilection toward sleeping on the main cabin floor while his father worked.

With a smile, Vader gestured and a blanket in the corner flew toward his son before draping over the thin form.

Anakin sat down in front of a holoterminal and considered. He had been impressed with Huff Darklighter. The man had been remarkably coherent and clearheaded within minutes of learning his presumably dead son was in fact alive and newly rescued from slavery from Jabba the Hutt's fortress.

Darklighter had cheerfully accepted a large credit chip from Vader (untraceable to the Dark Lord's accounts) and agreed to help the freed slaves either return to their homes or find passage off planet.

Jabba's organization was, if not totally destroyed, at least seriously crippled. In addition to killing Jabba, Vader had destroyed several high ranking underlings who had dared oppose him, and had made a point of blowing up sections of the palace where the Hutt's administrative records were kept. He had also ensured that the slaves had access to Jabba's speeders, swoop bikes, and treasure stores.

And indeed, Jabba had many treasures; jewels, fine wines, leathers, and valuable metals. The Hutt had been a connoisseur of the elegant and the stolen.

The situation was fraught with challenge, but Vader couldn't stay behind to help sort it out. Sidious was no doubt looking for him, and he and Luke needed to keep moving.

Boba Fett, himself eminently capable, was working with the Darklighter, not out of a sense of altruism but of challenge. Fett was a mercenary through and through but he always craved an exciting test of his skills, and the clone man clearly foresaw new opportunities now that Jabba had fallen.

So Vader would leave Tatooine, and the slaves, and hope for the best.

Next stop, Alderaan.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, relishing this moment of comparative peace, when the Senator spoke for the first time since he'd found Luke on Ryloth.

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Ani."_

He straightened, puzzled, " _Sorry for what, Senator?"_

" _We should have talked about your slavery, my love. I had no idea ... no idea how terrible it was."_

Anakin pushed back at this emotionally, " _Watto was a far kinder master than Gardulla, Senator. And I was only a Hutt slave for a few years."_

" _Very formative years, Anakin. You were a tiny child locked in a slave collar. And slavery is slavery, even if your later master was relatively kind."_

 _"_ _It was long ago. It does not matter."_

 _"_ _I think it does, Ani. And you'll need to deal with it at some point to fully heal emotionally."_

 _"_ _It is not necessary."_

" _It_ is _necessary. You want to be a good father to Luke, don't you? Work through the pain of your past for his sake, if not for your own."_

Anakin sighed wearily. The Senator could be so pushy at times.

He glanced at Luke, who was curled up on the floor, his Force sense one of peace and tranquility.

Anakin's eyes throbbed as his destroyed tear ducts sought to work, and failed. Yes, he did want to be a good father. A great father. And she was probably right. There was so much pain from the past ...

And for Luke's sake, he would seek healing.

 _Author Note: Next stop, Alderaan! I know I keep going between Vader and Anakin. He's still both, really. Still Dark Side-ey but loves Luke dearly so he's a complicated dude right now._


	3. Chapter 3

_Alderaan_

 _Bail Organa's office_

 _5 days later_

"Sate Pestage informed me that a new Imperial Coordinator will be arriving shortly to discuss the 'appropriate' Empire Day festivities this year."

"That's still 3 months away, Bail," his wife, Queen Breha, commented, "It seems quite ridiculous."

Bail Organa sighed and put his hand on his wife's, "The reality is, of course ..."

They exchanged glances, because they didn't need to speak the words. Every year, Palpatine's lust for total control increased. And they were powerless to prevent it.

"Just so long as Vader isn't the coordinator," Breha murmured.

Bail smiled a little, "I can't think of anything he would dislike more, my dear, or be more ill suited in doing."

His wife smiled in relief and asked, "Can you spare Leia for a luncheon?"

"Oh yes," Bail assured her, standing up and moving over to the holoterminal to enter in some notes on an upcoming Senate bill, "She's in the annex office next door studying up on the Mid Core ore trade right now, and I'm guessing she'll appreciate a break."

"Well, I'm not sure," Breha returned with a smirk, "We know our darling daughter is not a big fan of, in her view, pointless political luncheons ..."

The door to the office suddenly opened, and the Organas turned around in surprise and then dismay as the two guards standing at the door suddenly toppled into the room, whereupon they were dragged by unseen hands against the wall.

A very tall figure, muffled in a cloak, stepped into the room, his rhythmic breathing a herald of his true identity. At his side was a much shorter, cloaked figure, a figure who quickly threw off his hood to reveal a dark blond, blue eyed boy who cast a horrified look at the fallen guards before turning in outrage toward Darth Vader.

"You said you weren't going to just randomly kill people," he began indignantly.

"And I did not," Vader replied in a composed manner, letting his own robe fall to the floor of the office, "They are merely unconscious."

The boy heaved a relieved sigh, "Well, that's good anyway."

Bail Organa was suddenly more terrified than he had been in his entire life. Darth Vader was here, and right next door was his beloved Leia ...

Not for the first time, his wife came through, "Lord Vader, this is an unexpected pleasure, though if you had merely told us of your arrival, I would have told the guards to let you through. It was hardly necessary to knock them out."

Vader bowed his head ironically, "My apologies, your Highness. I wished my discussion with you to be as private as possible. No one must know we are here."

Bail and Breha exchanged puzzled glances.

"May I ask why, Lord Vader?" Bail asked carefully.

Vader gestured to the youth at this side, "This is my son, Luke."

Bail stared at him, staggered. This ... this was Luke Skywalker? He knew, of course, that young Luke had disappeared more than a year ago but how had Vader found him? Had the boy been with Vader this whole time? And if so, did that mean ...?

The Organas' confusion and distress was clearly obvious to the Dark Lord, as he stepped forward now impatiently.

Fortunately, he clearly misunderstood it.

"As strange as it may seem to you, Queen Breha, Viceroy Organa, I was once able to father children."

Breha sucked in a deep breath and once again leaped into the verbal breach, "I confess that we are surprised, Lord Vader. But it is, of course, a pleasure to meet your son. I'm afraid we must have missed the announcement about your ... that you had a son. He is indeed an important individual on the galactic stage."

The boy's eyes widened in astonishment and apparent dismay, and he shot a startled look at Vader.

The giant Sith put a gentle hand on the youth's shoulder even as he gazed at the Organas.

"There has certainly been no such announcement," Vader rumbled, "And my hope is that there never will be. The discovery of my son has changed my life, and I am in the process of extracting myself from the Emperor's regime."

There was a long, heart stopping moment. Bail didn't dare look at his wife; he barely dared to think. This was impossible. This must be some kind of a trick.

"Why would you tell us this, Lord Vader?" Breha asked gently, "What you are suggesting is treason."

"Which is all to the good, from your perspective," Vader returned calmly.

The Dark Lord held up his hand to stop any protests, "Be at peace, I have no intention of tricking you, or trapping you. I am here because my son's guardians, who cared for him on Tatooine, are possibly here on Alderaan. I hoped that you could help us find them."

Bail and Breha finally dared to exchange cautious glances.

"Your son's guardians?" Bail asked tentatively.

"Owen and Beru Lars," Luke said, finally speaking up, "They are my aunt and uncle and I'm really worried about them. They had to escape because we ran into some trouble with a Hutt Lord named Jabba. I got word that they were fleeing to Alderaan, though they may have moved on from here. But if you could find them, or even give us an idea of where to go, I'd really appreciate it."

Bail breathed out carefully even as he stared into Luke Skywalker's pleading eyes. What to do? He knew he probably couldn't directly lie to Vader and get away with it, but he didn't dare reveal the Lars' whereabouts either, not with Kenobi living in the same quarters. And they needed to get Vader and Luke out of here right now, before ...

The door to the annex opened, and Leia walked into the room. She was wearing a simple green dress and had her dark hair braided in an elaborate coronet.

"Father ..." she began, her head down as she stared at the datapad in her hand, "Can you tell me ..."

She stopped and looked up, suddenly aware of the heavy breathing and tense atmosphere.

Breha took a horrified breath, but managed to force out in a calm voice, "Lord Vader, ah, Luke, this is our daughter Leia."

Luke's eyes widened in surprise, and yes, clear admiration. Vader glanced at her indifferently, before turning back to Bail, "So Viceroy, the Lars?"

"I'm Luke," the boy said, walking across the room toward Leia, "It's nice to meet you."

She smiled back at him,"It's nice to meet you too."

" _Isn't she lovely, Ani?"_ the Senator asked suddenly.

Vader huffed in irritation. He didn't have time for this.

" _Her looks are of no concern to me,"_ he told her, even as Bail said, "Do you have any idea when the Lars might have arrived on Alderaan, Lord Vader?"

Vader frowned. There was something about Organa's Force sense that didn't seem right ...

" _I think she has my eyes and hair, but your nose,"_ the Senator commented placidly.

Darth. Vader. Froze.

"What?" he demanded aloud.

The Organas and Luke all stilled in astonishment.

"I was saying, Lord Vader," Bail said after a moment, "That we can contact the immigration office ..."

"No!" Vader roared, "Not you! The Senator! What did you say, Senator?"

There was silence, both from Vader's Inner Voice and the assembled humans.

Vader stared wildly at his son, who was standing next to ... next to ...

" _Please, Senator, please. Are you saying that Leia Organa is my ..."_

" _Daughter? Yes, Ani, she is._ Our _daughter. Don't you remember our brief conversation on Ryloth after you found Luke? You always thought I was carrying a girl, and I said remember to keep your eyes open on Alderaan. But perhaps you were too distracted by Luke to hear me well, Anakin."_

Vader wrenched his attention away from Luke, from Leia, from _his twins_ and looked at Bail and Breha Organa. His Force sense focused in on them now. Both were generating an aura of absolute terror.

The (former?) Sith forced himself to remain calm, to breathe four cycles.

Finally, he turned to the Princess (to Leia – he had chosen that name. Padme had named their daughter Leia even after he had attacked her on Mustafar.)

"Princess Leia, would you mind accompanying my son next door and entertaining him for a few minutes? Your parents and I have something important to discuss."

Luke blinked, then frowned, "You've got that 'I'm upset' vibe going, Father. You aren't going to kill anyone, are you?"

Vader sighed and reached out one long arm to rest it on his son's shoulder, "No, I promise you that I merely need to talk to the Organas. And I'm sure you and the Princess would enjoy getting to know one another better."

Leia glanced at the Organas, received a short nod, and turned with a diplomatic smile toward Luke, "This way, please."

As soon as Leia and Luke disappeared into the annex, and the door closed, Bail moved protectively in front of his wife. It was probably pointless but ...

"I want to be clear, Lord Vader, that Breha had nothing to do with the decision to bring Leia into our home. It was my decision."

Vader stared at him for a long moment, rage battling with incredulity.

" _You weren't exactly reliable father material, Ani,"_ the Senator pointed out, " _Considering you almost left all three of us dead on Mustafar._ "

 _All three of us_. Padme had been carrying their _twins_ when he choked her so brutally.

"How could you have separated them?" Vader demanded in a tone that was emotional even through the vocoder, "I know what I did, I understand why you hid the twins from me, but why separate them? They've grown up on different planets with no contact at all. Do you know what that must have been like for two Force Sensitive infants to share a womb and be torn apart?"

Bail's eyes widened. Of all the things he had imagined Vader would say, or do, this was the last. He sounded actually concerned about the children.

He opened his mouth to answer, though he didn't know what to say, when the door slid open behind him.

"That was my decision," Obi-Wan Kenobi said.

/

 _Office Annex_

Luke was standing staring out the window at a gorgeous garden of rosadas, with an ornamental pond in the distance.

"It's so beautiful here," he said in a mesmerized tone, "I'm still not used to so much green, and open water. It's amazing."

Leia was staring, bewildered, at the young blond youth gazing out of the window.

"So, who are you exactly?" she asked.

Luke turned around and raised his eyebrows, "I'm Luke, Lord Vader's son."

The beautiful brown eyes narrowed, "His son, huh? That's very interesting. I haven't heard anything about Lord Vader having a son, and my parents are obviously well connected politically."

Luke took a few steps closer to the princess, "Oh, there hasn't been any official announcement. I ... well, it's complicated, but we just met a couple of weeks ago. Father didn't know that I was alive."

Princess Leia Organa's face went stony, "I see."

Luke's temper rose at the clear implication, "No, you don't see, your _Highness._ He was married to my mother, he loved her, but he thought she died before she gave birth. It's complicated, but it wasn't some sordid one night stand."

Leia pursed her lips, "And now you are ready to, what, be presented on Imperial Center as the Crown Prince or something?"

Her tone was less than flattering, and Luke stiffened, "No, that is not what is happening. Father is leaving the Empire, which is a loathsome government. I know that."

"He's leaving the Empire," Leia responded skeptically, "That seems unlikely."

"It's not exactly like you know anything about him, Princess," Luke shot back, his initial awe of the gorgeous princess giving way to marked irritation.

"I know enough to know that ..."

/-

 _Next door_

"Obi-Wan!" Breha said in alarm, "You shouldn't have come here."

"Nonsense, Breha, nonsense," Obi-Wan said heavily, "I got you into this mess, and it is my responsibility to try to get you out of it. Perhaps Vader's blood lust will be satisfied with me, especially since you've obviously done a wonderful job protecting and raising Leia."

Vader simply stared incredulously. Gone was the ginger haired, vibrant man who had defeated him on Mustafar. In his place was an old man, gray haired, weary and aged before his time.

Old rage warred with new parental responsibility, and somewhat to his surprise, parental responsibility won. Hands down.

" _Mid life crisis, Anakin_ ," the Senator commented somewhat acidly, " _In your case, it has definitely done you some good. You definitely needed to rearrange your life priorities."_

"What are you doing here, Obi-Wan?" Vader demanded. He kept his hand near his lightsaber, but didn't draw it.

Kenobi had his lightsaber in his own right hand, but he too held back from open battle.

The two stared at one another and then Kenobi's shoulders slumped slightly.

"I have lived on Tatooine since we last parted, Vader, watching over your son."

A wave of rage flowed through Vader's soul, and he took a menacing step forward, "You didn't do a good job of protecting him, did you? The Tuskens took him, as they took my mother!"

"I know," Obi-Wan said, guilt and grief in his eyes, "And I'm sorry. I am. By the time the Lars realized what had happened, and by the time we had tracked the Tuskens down, Luke and the other teens were gone. And by the time we realized that Jabba had enslaved them, Luke was gone again. That son of yours isn't the type to sit around waiting for rescue. And then we couldn't find him, but we did receive apparently legitimate word that he had escaped Tatooine and was safe. So I came here with the Lars, since Jabba is after them."

"Was," Vader interposed distractedly, "I killed Jabba five days ago."

"You what?" Kenobi demanded in surprise.

"Killed Jabba," Vader returned with a near snarl, "Do you imagine I would let that vile Hutt live free and wealthy when he had enslaved my son? And I promised Luke I'd help the other enslaved teens go free."

Obi-Wan stared at him in sheer disbelief for a moment, and then Vader felt a Force probe move firmly, if respectfully, against his shields.

He lowered them slightly, allowing Kenobi to realize he spoke the truth.

"You've changed, Darth Vader," Obi-Wan said softly.

A strange sound emanated from the vocoder, "The Senator says I'm having a midlife crisis."

"The Senator?"

Vader's form grew, if possible, even more rigid, " _The_ Senator."

Kenobi's face grew compassionate, "I see. You believe Pad ..."

Vader interrupted ferociously, "Do not say her name!"

There was a hesitant pause, and the Organas and Kenobi stared at Vader dubiously.

It occurred to the Dark Lord that he probably sounded insane.

"She just told me about Leia," he said, vaguely surprised to be defending his own soundness of mind.

Kenobi frowned slightly, thoughtfully, "I see. Well, to answer your question about Luke and Leia, we felt it would be safer for them if they were separated. I thought you were dead, and I feared that Darth Sidious would go after them. It seemed wiser to divide their remarkable Force presence."

Vader felt his eyes itching, "It must have been devastating to them, Obi-Wan. They lost their mother, they lost their father, and then they lost each other. They would have loved each other so much. How could you ..."

A sudden crash next door interrupted him.

He turned and rushed to the door, with the Organas and Kenobi behind him.

The door opened to a scene of wild disarray. Luke and Leia were on the floor, wrestling, kicking, and shoving each other. An end table had been knocked over and a vase (fortunately unbroken) was leaking water into the light blue carpet. Luke was snarling in incoherent rage, and Leia's hair was down. Even as Vader watched, his daughter abruptly lifted a knee and drove it into his son's belly. The youth groaned and shifted back, then gathered himself to punch his sister in the eye.

Vader's paralysis ended and he leaped forward and grabbed Luke by the scruff of the neck, dragging him away from Leia.

Bail too had rushed to his daughter and had his strong arms around her, pulling her up and away from her unknown twin.

Luke and Leia, restrained by their respective father figures, panted and glared.

"What is the meaning of this?" Vader demanded.

"She insulted you. And _then_ she insulted the Skywalker name!" Luke said angrily.

"I did not," Leia yelled back, "All I said was that since your father is a Sith Lord your name isn't ..."

"I know what you said," Luke interrupted angrily, "And ..."

"Well, _you_ were being all rude and snarky about Alderaanian pacifism. Just because you can use force doesn't mean you should!"

"You live here in wealth and privilege and with water and dare to lord it over those of us who scrabble around on the edge of devastating poverty ..."

"I am not lording it over you! I was just saying ..."

"Luke! Princess!" Vader said in his most dangerous tone.

The twins stopped glaring at one another and looked at him sullenly. Now that they were actually standing still, Vader could see the damage they had inflicted on one another.

Luke had scratches across one cheek and a red mark across the other.

Leia's eye was starting to bruise. She would have quite the black eye shortly.

Breha spoke up in stunned dismay, "Leia, how could you treat our guest this way?"

Leia looked angry, then embarrassed.

"And Luke, there is no need or reason to defend me so violently," Vader said gravely.

Luke sighed, and looked at the floor, his quick temper giving way to contrition, "I'm sorry, Princess."

Leia chewed on her inner cheek and nodded, "I'm sorry too."

"And you fight very well for a pampered princess."

"And you fight very well for a skinny desert rat."

The twins' gazes met, then both laughed.

Obi-Wan heaved a sigh, "I don't think this was the reunion any of us expected."

Luke and Leia looked at him in bewilderment.

"Reunion?" Luke and Leia both asked in unison.

 _Author Note: I will probably wrap this fanfic up in the next chapter or two. I meant for it to be a one shot and then of course it got away from me a bit but I WILL KEEP IT SHORT!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Office Annex_

 _Palace_

 _Alderaan_

"Reunion?" Luke and Leia both asked in unison.

There was a long pause as the four adults in the room considered what to say next.

Luke broke the silence, "Wait a minute, aren't you Ben? Ben Kenobi?"

The old fox nodded his gray head, "Indeed, young Luke. It has been some time since we last met."

The boy tilted his head and frowned, "So I guess since you are here, you're not just an eccentric hermit."

"No, indeed, I am not."

"Are you General Kenobi?" Leia inquired, "Who fought during the Clone Wars?"

Kenobi shot a quick glance at Vader, and nodded.

There was another uncomfortable silence.

"So what did you mean about a reunion?" Leia finally demanded, "Luke, the son of Vader, and I haven't met before."

Vader opened his mouth to answer, then shut it abruptly. He glanced at Luke, who was staring at him with puzzled eyes. His discovery of Luke had been a dream come true, to find a living son who eagerly welcomed the introduction of such an unconventional (monstrous) father into his life.

He expected no such enthusiasm from Princess Leia Organa. The Organas were known opponents to Palpatine's administration, and he had sensed the princess's distaste and fear when she had seen him.

Vader glanced at the other adults in the room, but they seemed just as paralyzed as he was.

Vader made a quick decision and gestured. A moment later, a datapad flew into his hand from the next room. He had placed it in his now discarded robes in the main office. It had pictures of the Lars to assist in the search for them. But the datapad also held ...

Reverently, the Dark Lord found the correct holo and held the datapad out to Leia Organa, who took it with hesitant hands.

"This is ..." Vader began, and stopped. Could he really say her name after all these years?

"Padme Naberrie Amidala of Naboo," the princess stated. She shot a look at her parents, who both wore looks of agonized concern.

"I've seen her holo before, and read a few of her speeches," Leia continued, "What's the connection?"

"She was your birth mother, Leia," Breha said, finally managing to vocalize through her distress.

The girl's eyes grew wide in disbelief, "What?!"

"You look a lot like her," Luke said helpfully, having sidled over next to his unknown twin to look at the image, "Same eyes and hair. She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

Leia's face wore a smile now, and her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, "Yes. But more than that, she was a wonderful person. That's amazing. But why ... why didn't you tell me earlier about her?"

"Because ..." Bail said.

"Because ..." Breha repeated.

"Because ..." Obi-wan began, then stuttered to a stop.

Vader suppressed a sigh. Apparently he would have to be the mature adult here.

"Because I am your biological father, Princess Leia. And the Organas have done everything in their power to suppress that knowledge."

The twins' faces, with different eyes and noses and chins, suddenly wore identical expressions of disbelief and shock.

Luke's eyes stayed on his mask longer, because Leia, after a frozen moment, turned toward the Organas with eyes wide, her head shaking 'no.'

Apparently, the girl shared her biological mother's ability to understand subtle facial cues, for within 10 seconds the girl's face shifted from disbelief to horror.

"No ... no. That's not true. That's impossible!"

"Search your feelings," Vader said as gently as he could, "You know it to be true."

"No! No! I am not ... I am not the daughter of a murderer, a tyrant, a _slaver_. I can't be!"

"Hey," Luke snapped suddenly, waking up out of his stupor, "That's my father ... _our_ father, apparently ... you are talking about. It's a shock, I know, but there is no need to be rude about it!"

Leia turned on her brother, her eyes flashing, "Rude? Rude? Do you have any idea what your father has done? The children he has destroyed, the aliens he has enslaved?"

"Leia!" Bail said, raising his voice.

She stopped, eyes suddenly filled with tears, and then she rushed into Bail's arms, even as she dissolved into heartrending sobs of distress.

Vader watched this display with a mixture of unease, guilt, and anger, and was startled when he felt a small tug on his arm.

Luke's brow was furrowed with concern and bewilderment, "Father, why don't we go next door? I think Leia needs a few minutes with ... with her parents."

He sighed internally, but allowed himself to be shepherded into the next room, with Obi-Wan Kenobi trailing behind. The annex office had one window which was 3 stories up, so there was no chance Leia could escape him. Furthermore, he kept a Force tendril on her location and mental state.

The results were unsettling, to say the least. Princess Leia's Force sense was a turbulent maelstrom of horror and grief.

No indeed, Leia Organa did not welcome this news.

"So if Padme Amidala is the princess's mother, who is mine?" Luke asked in a disturbed tone.

The father was so puzzled that he could only gape (behind his mask) at his son.

It was Kenobi who explained, "You and Leia are twins, Luke. Padme is your mother as well."

The young face grew slack with astonishment, then tightened in anger.

"She's my twin sister? How could you not tell me that, Father? How could you hide my _twin_ from me?"

The fury which had been rigidly held under control, and crowded out by bewilderment, and mitigated by the Senator's words, suddenly burst forth.

"I didn't know about your sister's existence until I walked into this room less than an hour ago, until the Senator told me about her. Kenobi separated you." Vader hissed in rage, his hand leaping to his lightsaber. It was in his hand, and lit blood red, in less than a second. "He hid you both from me, and sent you to that sandblasted planet to be kidnapped by Tuskens, to suffer, to be enslaved ..."

The laser sword swept forward only to clash against Kenobi's blade which had also sprung to life, lit blue like the color of Anakin Skywalker's eyes.

Obi-Wan's face was determined if sad, "I'm sorry, Vader, but given your regrettable decisions, we felt we had to hide them, for their safety."

The two exchanged a few more blows, both without injury, before Vader spoke again, his voice calmer, and yet full of righteous indignation.

"You should have kept them together, at least. You should have brought them both here. They would have grown up together, in affluence, as friends, as siblings. Luke would have been safe from ..."

At this point, two large cushions, thrown by Luke, suddenly flew through the air, one toward each warrior.

Both Kenobi and Vader reacted instinctively, cutting the cushions in half.

And a wild blizzard of pelikki feathers filled the space between the two combatants. Kenobi found himself coughing violently, and Vader had to use the Force to brush feathers from his air intakes.

The brief distraction gave Luke time to act. He stepped firmly and courageously between the two lightsabers, his eyebrows furrowed with irritation, "Stop it, both of you! This is not the time to be fighting, and certainly not killing. Ben, could you please go in with Le ... with my sister and wait there until Father calms down? Would that be all right?"

Kenobi blinked in astonishment, then smiled slightly, "It would be my pleasure, young Luke. So long as your father agrees."

Vader felt surprisingly silly surrounded by a cloud of feathers, and feeling silly made him angry. But Luke was looking at him intently and hopefully, so he sighed and shut down his saber.

"Very well," he grated, "But this conversation is not complete."

Ben nodded even as he shut down his own saber before skirting carefully around father and son and going into the annex next door.

Vader followed the old man with his gaze before looking down at Luke, who was positively glaring at him.

"He saved my life, you know," his son said, "When I was 9. And then again when I was 11. I got caught out in the desert with speeder malfunctions and other personal stupidity and Ben showed up in the nick of time. And I know he helped my aunt and uncle more than once in other ways."

"You should never have been on Tatooine at all," Vader said stubbornly, "I hated every year I lived there, and it was the last place on earth that he should have sent my son."

Luke stared at him for a long moment and then shook his head a little, "Father, I'm not stupid. I know that you've done some very cruel things. And since you won't talk about ... about Mother with me, I have to assume that something went very wrong in your relationship with her. It sounds like Ben felt like he had limited options."

The boy stepped forward now to place slender hands on his father's gauntleted arms, "I yelled at Leia in there for insulting you but she's not wrong. I grew up on the Outer Rim and I don't know much about politics but I do know the Empire is a rotten institution, and you ... you're its Chief Enforcer. Or you were."

Vader stilled, his rage suddenly quenched, his heart suddenly filled with the agonizing fear of rejection, "Do you ... are you ... do you regret being with me, my son?"

Luke looked startled and then distressed, "No, of course not! The day you found me was the best day of my life. And I love you. I always will. I just am asking you, begging you, to think about other people and their needs and struggles in this crazy situation. Please don't blame Leia for being upset, or the respective parental figures for making hard decisions."

Vader's head dipped low, his weary gaze fixed at the ground. In the room next door, Leia's horrified grief was sliding toward apathetic despair.

In front of him, his beloved son was projecting concern, and yes, devoted love.

"Very well, Son," he responded, "I will do my best to be patient with the Princess. With your sister."

"And Ben? And the Organas? And the Lars, for that matter? What are you going to do about them?"

Vader clenched his teeth, then forced himself to relax every available biological muscle in his body. He was angry, angry at the decisions that were made, at the heart breaking separation of his twins. Of the fact that he had lived 15 years of his life not knowing that he even had twins, and that they lived.

But his children loved and cared for their respective guardians, and thus ...

"I promise you I will not harm them, Son."

The blue eyes bored into him, demanding ...

"I promise on the Skywalker name."

/-

 _6 hours later_

 _Princess Leia Organa's room_

The door slid open and Leia tensed slightly, but didn't turn.

"Is it all right if I come in?" Luke's voice inquired nervously.

She shrugged, just a little, "If you must."

She was being petty and rude, but she couldn't manage to care.

There was a soft footfall and out of the corner of her eye, Leia saw Luke Skywalker (that was his surname, her mother had said) sit down crosslegged on the floor a meter away from her.

She kept her gaze fixed on the large window in front of her. The sunny day had given way to storms, and now angry raindrops flung themselves against the transparisteel, even as the wind howled and buffeted the delicate white flowers of the trees a few meters away from them.

There was a long silence, and to her surprise, Leia felt herself relax a little. Luke was, at the moment anyway, a restful presence. He was merely sitting, and she didn't feel pressure to talk or do anything.

Finally, she turned to look at him. He turned at the same moment, as if sensing her movement before it happened, and their eyes met.

She saw wonder in those blue eyes, and knew her own brown eyes showed similar wonder. To think that they had shared a womb 15 years ago, that they had shared the cries of birth before being separated for so long.

"I guess the weather reflects my mood," she said, with a head bob toward the window.

Her brother's brow frowned slightly in bewilderment, "I don't understand."

"It's raining," she said, spelling it out, "And dark, and windy. Crazy weather. Unsettling weather."

The youth (her twin!) smiled slightly, "I grew up on a desert planet, Princess. I spent hours and days and years of my life in the hot suns getting moisture 'vaporators to work so that we could draw water out of the atmosphere. I still can't believe that there are places where water falls from the sky. I think it's wonderful, like magic."

Her lips curved, delighted at the amazement in his voice, even as she said, "Please call me Leia. I'm your sister. What planet did you grow up on?"

"Tatooine, Outer Rim," Luke replied, with a heavy sigh, "It's a desert planet. Poor. Dangerous. I was abducted by a tribal group a little more than a year ago and sold into slavery. I escaped to Ryloth and then Father found me there, no doubt by the will of the Force, a couple of weeks ago."

There was so much in this short statement to unpack that Leia briefly felt overwhelmed, but she focused in on the most horrific statement, "You were enslaved?"

The boy nodded, his eyes downcast, "By a Hutt Lord named Jabba. I managed to escape after a week. My aunt and uncle who raised me fled here with Ben Kenobi because Jabba put a price on my head, and they were in danger. Your parents kindly gave them refuge on Alderaan and I can't wait to see them, but I did want to give Father some time to ... uh ... calm down."

Leia felt a lurch in her heart. Were her own parents safe from the erratic anger of the Dark Lord of the Sith?

"He won't harm them, Leia," Luke said, "He gave me his word."

Her eyes met his, full of challenge, "And can I trust the word of Darth Vader, the Emperor's Enforcer?"

She waited for anger, but Luke merely reached a gentle and comforting hand out to her.

"Yes, you can, Princ ... Leia," her brother responded. "You're right about him, of course. He's done terrible things. Cruel things. But he genuinely cares about us and he will not break his word to me. He's from Tatooine and he knows the power of names, and he promised on his name."

Leia lifted a puzzled eyebrow, even as she felt her chest unclench. She didn't know Tatooine, or its customs, but she trusted the certainty in her twin's voice, trusted the inner Voice in her heart which told her that Luke was a faithful and good person.

She decided that she liked her brother.

"Thank you, Luke."


	5. Chapter 5

_The Lars/Kenobi apartment_

 _5_ _th_ _Floor of the Glass Lake Towers_

 _Aldera, capital of Alderaan_

 _"_ Dinner is ready, Owen," Beru Lars said, laying a hand on her husband's shoulder. He was hovering over the Holonet terminal and she saw, with a mixture of amusement and sorrow, that Owen was obsessively studying an article on the latest in moisture 'vaporators.

He smiled at her, read a last paragraph, and stood up.

"Any word from Kenobi?" he asked.

Beru shook her head as she stepped into the kitchen, "No, he just ran out of here without explanation. I assume he'll be back at some point."

Owen lowered himself into his seat at the table as Beru exited the kitchen with a steaming pan in her hands.

At that moment, the door into the dining room opened and Obi-Wan stepped through with a slim teen in tow.

"Hello Owen, Beru. I found Luke."

Luke surged forward, "Aunt Beru, Uncle Owen!"

Beru Lars dropped the pan, shrieked, and fell to her knees in shock. Kenobi reached forward with the Force and floated the pan out of harm's way, and Luke and Owen leaped over to their beloved wife/aunt and knelt on the floor, hugging and saying encouraging things.

Darth Vader, who was standing out of sight from the Lars in the living room, vocalized his irritation.

"Obi-Wan, that is _not_ the way to announce the return of a long lost relative. You should have said something like, 'I have a surprise for you' and built up to it."

Kenobi, who looked both bewildered and embarrassed, shook his head, "I am afraid I'm not very good with emotional things."

" _Neither are you, Anakin,_ " the Senator commented pointedly.

Beru had recovered enough to throw her arms around her long lost nephew, sobbing, "Luke, Luke!"

"Are you all right, Luke?" Owen demanded, the gruff voice close to breaking from tears, "You've got scratches on your face."

"Yes, I'm fine," Luke said, wrapping his arms around his aunt and rocking her back and forth as if she was a small child, "I'm just fine."

Beru sobbed for another minute before pulling herself together and rising to her feet with support from her husband. Once she was on her feet, she ran a hand down her nephew's cheek as she smiled mistily, "Luke, I'm ... I just can't believe it. How did you get here?"

Luke smiled back at her, "Well, that's a long story. Why don't you sit down for a minute?"

He turned toward Obi-Wan, "Could you give us a few moments, Ben?"

Kenobi nodded, retreated into the living room and shut the door. He flopped down on a random couch, heedless to the apparent danger of Darth Vader in close proximity with a lightsaber on his belt.

"I'm sure Luke will do better than I did," Obi-Wan said glumly, "He has Padme's charm."

Vader stiffened at her name, causing Obi-Wan to look up at him in surprise, "What is it?"

"I do not ... _appreciate_ hearing her name."

Deep wrinkles formed on Kenobi's forehead, "I thought you said Padme talks to you."

"She does. The Senator talks to me. Not ... not ... not ..."

Kenobi nodded carefully, in understanding, "You feel guilty."

Vader paced back and forth on the gray, practical carpet, "I killed my wife and nearly killed my children. Yes, I _am_ guilty."

/-

In the dining room, Luke had his hands in his aunt's, "Then ... listen, this is going to be a big shock, but a couple of weeks ago, Darth Vader came to the shop on Ryloth."

Beru and Owen, who had been leaning forward eagerly, both paled in horror, "What?!"

"Yeah, uh, so we talked a bit and I told him my father's name ..."

There were tears in Beru's eyes again, this time tears of terror, "How did you get away, Luke?"

"I didn't."

The youth looked at Owen, then at Beru, and smiled a little, sadly, "I guess you didn't know this, but Darth Vader was, and now is, Anakin Skywalker, my father."

There was dead silence for a long moment, and then Owen Lars fainted.

/-

"There was nothing wrong with her that the med droids could determine, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him gravely, "The droids healed all the damage. But her life force just faded. She delivered the babies and named them and then we lost her. I tried, we tried, so hard to save her, but she just slipped away. I'm sorry."

Vader found his eyes burning again for the tenth time since he had found his son. (He really wished he could cry but those tear ducts wouldn't cooperate.)

"So I didn't kill her," he said numbly.

" _No, darling, you didn't,_ " the Senator said firmly.

" _I wish you had told me that earlier,"_ he replied wearily.

" _Don't you think I've tried, Anakin?"_ she responded gently, " _But every time I attempted to tell you the details of Mustafar, you blocked me out. Your guilt made it impossible for you to hear what really happened."_

"Something is wrong next door," Kenobi said, rising up and rushing into the next room.

Owen Lars was toppled over on the table, and Luke was kneeling next to him, trying to straighten him up. Kenobi ran over and together the two leaned the grizzled farmer carefully against the back of the chair. Beru, who was staring at her husband in distress, now turned her gaze on the Vader as he walked through the door.

The woman took a hesitant step forward even as she shook her head incredulously, "You can't be Anakin. You can't."

"I was," Vader rumbled in return, then said after a pause, "And I am again."

Her eyes turned to her husband, nephew, and erstwhile neighbor and protector.

Owen was sitting up now, his eyes open, but his face pale and sweaty. Obi-Wan cast him a concerned look as he straightened to look at Beru.

"You told me that Darth Vader betrayed and murdered Anakin Skywalker," she said, her eyes filled with the rage of an angry dewback whose nest was being threatened.

Kenobi looked uncomfortable at Beru's glare, but he looked at Vader and said gravely, "Anakin was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man that was Luke's father was lost. So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view."

"A certain point of view?" Luke asked derisively, moving protectively toward Vader.

And Beru Lars, to the astonishment of the males in the room, stepped forward and slugged Kenobi in the mouth.

/-

 _Leia Organa's room_

 _The Palace in Aldera_

"Will he want me to go with him, Father?"

"Oh Leia," Bail sat down on the bed next to his daughter and put his arms around her, rocking her gently as if she was a small child, "Please don't worry."

"But will he? Don't lie to me, Father. I'm 15 and I need to know the truth."

Bail sighed, "I don't know what will happen, Leia. We haven't talked about it, but I'm sure he feels he has some claim to you …"

"He doesn't. You are my father, Queen Breha Organa is my mother."

"We need to discuss it some more. But this I am sure of, Leia. He genuinely cares about you and your brother. And you might not be entirely safe here in such a public position as the heir to the Throne of Alderaan. If the Emperor ever learns of your Force Sensitivity, of your biological heritage, you would be in grave danger."

He stood up now and walked over to the window, staring out blankly into the night, "I suppose this day was always coming, my dear. Your mother and I have been foolish to not address this issue earlier, but we love you so much. Your legacy is a difficult one so we just avoided talking about it, thinking about it, and dealing with it. I'm sorry."

Her arms were around him now, her face against his back, "I know, Papa. But we'll work it out."

He smiled slightly, to himself. She was Padme's daughter through and through, courageous, optimistic, and strong. It occurred to him, suddenly, that Darth Vader would have his hands full with her.

/

 _The Lars/Kenobi apartment_

 _The Kitchen_

Kenobi sat at the small kitchen table with a frozen bag of Gervi Fruit placed against his mouth.

"That was some right hook," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," Beru said, though she still sounded angry.

"Don't be," Luke said, his eyes sparking, "He deserved it. It was bad you concealed the truth from me, a child, but how could you lie to my aunt and uncle, who were responsible for keeping me safe?"

Obi-Wan looked around at the indignant gazes, and lowered his eyes to the ground.

"It seemed wiser if no one knew what really happened to Anakin," he said somewhat weakly, "And we really thought Vader would never go to Tatooine, and I was shielding Luke in the Force to keep him hidden …"

"I assume you didn't mention my twin sister to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru either?" Luke demanded.

"What?" Owen demanded.

"You have a twin sister?" Beru demanded incredulously.

"Yes, Princess Leia Organa is my twin!" Luke said, and began shuffling around restlessly within the narrow confines of the kitchen, "I have lived my whole life without my twin! And then when we met earlier today, we got into a fight and she scratched me and I hit her and it was a mess!"

Vader, who had been listening to this diatribe against Kenobi with a mixture of satisfaction and bewilderment, suddenly found himself defending his old master.

"It was admittedly a difficult situation," he stated, "And since I presume you thought I had died on Mustafar …"

"I did."

"Then the goal was to keep the twins safe from Darth Sidious. And I certainly applaud that decision."

"You're defending Ben?" Luke demanded.

Vader, no, Anakin, stared at the old man for a long moment and then said softly, "We go back a long way, Son."


	6. Chapter 6

_Bail Organa's office_

 _Palace on Alderaan_

 _The next morning_

"Just to be totally clear, I'm not going away with you," Leia Organa said. She was tiny compared to the giant cyborg looming over her, but if looks could kill, he'd be lying in a smoking heap on the floor.

Vader shook his head slightly, "I do not expect you to."

There was an audible exhale of relief from Breha Organa, and Bail openly relaxed.

Leia looked more surprised than thankful, "Really?"

Anakin looked down at her. He had met the young Leia Organa once before during a tedious celebration on Imperial Center. At the time, he had ignored her, considering a child far beneath his notice. Now he could see she was the very image of her mother – not just in looks, but in expression. That skeptical look – how many times had it graced his beloved wife's face?

"I do not own you, Princess Leia Organa of the House of Alderaan," he responded gravely, "Nor did I raise you. I wish for your health and happiness, and tearing you from the only home you've ever known is hardly the way to achieve either goal."

Luke shifted slightly to his right, and he glanced at his boy, who was gazing at him with grave eyes.

"But it is all right if I stay with you, right, Father?" Luke asked, even as he cast a nervous glance at his aunt and uncle who were standing nearby.

"Tatooine is no longer our home," Owen said, and ruffled his nephew's hair in a rare gesture of affection, "Nor can I pretend that I'm your father, Luke. You are indeed the delight of our lives, but your aunt and I know you belong with Anakin."

Beru spoke up now, her voice slightly shaky, "And I acknowledge that as well, though I know we will always be an important part of your life. But what about your sister, Luke? Don't you want to get to know her?"

The twins shared a sidelong look.

"I do, of course," Luke said softly, "Time that doesn't involve beating each other up."

She grinned even as she ran a hand over the scratches she had made on Luke's cheek the day before, "We will spend time together, Luke. I hope we can make a way for frequent interactions. But I am not going to leave my family. I hope you understand that."

Luke looked outside at the garden which was, in the morning sunlight, a riot of spring flowers and deep green grass.

"I do understand, of course" he admitted, "If I lived in a place like this, it would be very hard to leave. Not to mention you have responsibilities here that cannot be easily dropped."

Obi-Wan was generating all kinds of discomfort at this emotional family discussion, and now spoke up.

"So, Anakin, what are you going to do?"

The short(er) people looked at the tall cyborg as he considered.

"I originally intended to withdraw from galactic affairs and keep my son safe," he said slowly, "But given that my d ... that Leia is the Heir to the throne of Alderaan, I no longer believe that is a viable option."

He paused, and focused in on the princess, "It is remarkable, and excellent, that Leia shields so well. Did you train her, Obi-Wan?"

Kenobi looked uneasy and shook his head, "No. She shielded well in the womb, which is why, I presume, none of us sensed Padme was carrying twins."

He stopped, and Anakin narrowed his eyes behind his mask, "But _someone_ specifically worked on her shielding with her, correct? "

He held up a gloved prosthetic hand, "You need not tell me. I am impressed and relieved at her skills in that area when Luke's shielding is, frankly, abysmal. We'll need to work on that, Son. Nevertheless, I am concerned that if Leia meets Palpatine face to face, he may sense her Force power."

"The Emperor stinks, Father," Luke said crossly, "Maybe not literally, but figuratively. Can you kill him?"

Anakin looked down at his son incredulously, "No, I can't."

Luke's face drooped sadly, "Ok."

Vader felt a strange need to explain, to apologize, "Perhaps I could have at the height of my power, my son. Perhaps if I hadn't been so badly injured around the time of your birth. But Palpatine is immensely strong in the Force. I cannot destroy him alone."

"Could Obi-Wan help you?" Luke asked, with a head nod at the Anakin's former master.

"I'm afraid," Ben said uncomfortably, "That I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"And our shared history includes lava and fights to the death and Obi-Wan hewing off three of my limbs," Vader said drily, "So obviously we don't work well together anymore."

Luke openly flinched and cast an agonized glance at his father's armor encased form.

"But you did fight side by side for many years," Bail Organa stated, "Long ago. The exploits of Kenobi and Skywalker were known across the galaxy."

Vader's limbs stiffened, his limbs clenched, "Those days, and those men, and those names, are gone, Organa."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

" _You cannot go back in time, Anakin, but you can work to make things better now,"_ the Senator pointed out.

He grumbled under his breath. It was too late. He'd made terrible decisions. He'd hurt people he loved. He was a mass murderer. It was too much to expect that he could turn things around. If he could keep the twins safe that would be as much as the Force could hope for from him.

A thought suddenly occurred to him,

"Princess Leia, what are your long term plans?"

The girl's chin lifted determinedly, "Father is planning to retire from the Senate in the next few years so he can better assist Mother in ruling Alderaan. I plan to run for his Senate seat."

Vader cast one horrified glance at his daughter's beautiful face, then swung to face Bail Organa, "You can't seriously be considering allowing Leia to work on Imperial Center in the Senate? To be directly in Palpatine's line of sight?"

The slightly hangdog look on Bail's face was answer enough.

"Are you mad?" the former Sith demanded explosively.

"It isn't his decision, Lord Vader," Leia said, her brows furrowing in outrage, "It is mine. I am 15 years old. I am intelligent, a gifted politician, and devoted to Alderaan. Given that I am the biological daughter of Padme Amidala, do you really imagine I am willing to sit around here hosting fancy milk parties and waiting for a rich suitor to come around?"

"That does sound ghastly," Luke muttered.

"But Palpatine ..."

"Is going to be a problem long term regardless of whether Leia is Senator of Alderaan or not," Breha said, finally breaking her silence, "You can't hide forever, Anakin, nor can Luke, and certainly not Leia. Difficult decisions will have to be made. The galaxy is in turmoil, and the Darkness of Palpatine grows more pervasive by the year."

"And if we can do something about that, we should," Luke said, his young face full of determination.

Vader glanced around at the assembled group and suppressed another groan. He was outnumbered, it appeared.

Kenobi suddenly stepped forward, lifting his aged face toward the black mask.

"Anakin, I apologize for injuring you so badly. More than that, I regret greatly that I didn't guide you better, and protect you more adequately from Palpatine. I would be honored to work with you to protect the twins and bring down Darth Sidious."

Anakin stared at his former 'brother' incredulously. An apparently heartfelt apology? When he had been the one to murder the younglings, the one to strangle Pad ...

But beyond his own self-loathing, he recognized the truth of Kenobi's words. Obi-Wan hadn't guided and guarded the young Anakin well, and had failed to protect him from the insidious temptations of the then Chancellor Palpatine.

Anakin Skywalker sighed, "Very well, let's talk."

/-

 _3 days later_

 _Landing Bay #89_

 _Aldera, Capital of Alderaan_

The five robed figures walked carefully into the landing bay, each carrying a pack on his or her back.

The _Stalisti's_ ramp lowered at a Force command from its owner, and the group walked aboard with the tallest and bulkiest in the lead.

Once they were inside and the ramp raised, Darth Vader threw off his cloak before floating it tidily onto a hook, and turned to the Lars and Kenobi.

"You're quarters are down the hall, across from Luke's cabin and my hyperbaric chamber. You can stow your packs there and rest, or join me in the cockpit as you wish."

He strode forward, uneasy. This freighter had been his safe haven for the last two weeks, a place for him to get to know Luke, to keep Luke safe. It was now being transformed into a battleship of sorts, as it held one of the most wanted men in the galaxy, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Not to mention Anakin Skywalker, formerly or currently Darth Vader. Sidious must know by now that his apprentice had turned on him, though Anakin hoped he didn't know why. The longer Luke stayed incognito, the better.

Part of Anakin merely wanted to keep hiding but ... Leia was still on Alderaan and Leia would never be safe so long as Palpatine ruled.

Nor, realistically, would Luke.

Vader settled into the pilot's chair and began the start-up sequence. The Organas had done extensive work to augment his already excellent codes; no one would know to whom this ship belonged. The ruling family of Alderaan had also provided very liberal supplies for the _Stalisti_ , so she would be independent for weeks.

The _Stalisti_ quivered, leaped into the air, and soared into the clouds and out into space.

Next stop: Kamino.

/-

 _Balcony on the Royal Palace of Alderaan_

Leia stared into the sky, following the moving light that was the _Stalisti_.

The ship carrying her brother and her biological father away to unknown planets and places.

"Are you all right?" Bail asked gently, putting his arm around her.

She leaned against him, "Yes, I'm fine, Papa."

(She didn't call him 'Papa' regularly, but she felt a strong need to claim the Organa name, the Organa heritage.)

"Do you miss your brother?"

She shrugged, "It's not like I know him."

Bail's shoulders slumped slightly, "I know. I had hoped perhaps there would be some instantaneous connection. Perhaps that was too much to expect."

She chuckled a little, "The first thing we did was trade insults, then blows. I like him, don't get me wrong, but he doesn't feel like a family member. Not yet."

/-

 _The Stalisti_

"The first thing I thought was that she was the most incredibly beautiful girl I've ever seen. The second thing I thought was that she was the most incredibly annoying girl I've ever met. She manages a skeptical expression that puts Camie from Tosche Station to shame. I do like her, and I feel some attachment, but we're strangers."

"I know, Luke," Obi-Wan Kenobi said heavily, "I'm sorry. It seemed the wisest course at the time."

Luke put a gentle hand on the old man's shoulder, "And maybe it was. Father is grateful you were protecting us from the Emperor. I'm sad we didn't grow up together but maybe we would have hated each other's guts. You never know."

/-

 _Cockpit_

 _The_ Stalisti

 _In hyperspace_

"So, Anakin, what happened?"

Vader looked up in surprise. They were in hyperspace and the ship was operating optimally. He didn't need to be here, but staring at the whorls of hyperspace through the cockpit transparisteel was more appealing than retreating to his hyperbaric chamber. He had expected Luke to wander in, maybe Kenobi, but not Beru Lars.

"I do not understand the question," he responded stiffly.

Beru sighed and leaned back against the chair on which she was ensconced, "I didn't know you well, obviously. We met during a horrifically tragic time for all of us, after your mother was abducted and murdered. But," she hesitated, then continued bravely, "I never thought you'd become Darth Vader. Never imagined you were capable of such acts of cruelty and violence."

He stared at her. He didn't know Beru Lars well. He remembered, in his former life, _knowing_ (through the Force) that she was a good person. He had entrusted Padme to Beru, Owen and Cleigg when he raced away on his failed attempt to rescue his mother.

But he hadn't guessed that she was a particularly courageous person, one willing and able to challenge a (possibly former) Dark Lord of the Sith.

Her eyes hardened slightly, as if aware of his bemusement, "Your son, my nephew, loves you. I want to know that he'll be safe with you. From you. If there are triggers that incite you to violence, I want to know what they are."

He stiffened in outrage, "Do you imagine that I would harm my own son?"

She raised her eyebrows, "I don't know, Anakin. You have a reputation for having quite a vicious temper. You wiped out an entire village of Tuskens, after all."

He was startled, "How do you know about that?"

She sighed and leaned back wearily, "Did you think we wouldn't? It's true the Raiders and human settlers' dealings on Tatooine are almost exclusively hostile, but the jawas are go-betweens, and there are a few non-humans who interact with the Tuskens in search of slaves and stolen parts and banthas."

Beru looked out into space even as she blew a slow breath out, "It was only a few weeks after ... after you brought Shmi back that we heard third or fourth hand about a village of Tuskens where every last individual had been slaughtered. Men, women, children. Weapon unknown, assailant unknown. It was obvious it was you."

Vader felt the old rage, the hatred, stir in his heart, "They took her, they tortured her, they ..."

"I know, Anakin," Beru interrupted gently. She stood up and approached him carefully, "If I could have done what you were able to do, I might have done the same. I hope not. I hope I wouldn't have killed children, but I loved Shmi dearly and she didn't deserve that end. No one does."

She cocked her head slightly, "But according to Kenobi, your cruelty no longer merely runs hot, but cold. You've killed, and tortured, many in your position as the Strong Hand of the Emperor."

He froze, then turned away from her, "You presume much to discuss this with me now."

He couldn't see her, but he sensed her determination through the Force, "I will presume whatever I must to keep Luke safe. He's a wonderful young man, but not ... not easy."

Vader turned back now, astonished, "He and I have interacted most peacefully."

The woman's expression was wry, "Honeymoon period, Anakin."

She sighed, "You'll do better than Owen, no doubt. Owen's a cautious man and he ... he doesn't understand Luke. You're a Skywalker, and I have no doubt you'll relate to your son's more insane proclivities. That son of yours is brave to the point of recklessness, and when he gets his mind focused on an objective, he is remarkably stubborn. And his piloting is enough to cause a normal person to lose her lunch, and her breakfast and midnight snack as well."

Anakin smiled slightly, even as he nodded, "I see. I thank you, Beru Lars, for caring for my son so well."

An expression of guilt transformed her face, "We didn't care for him well enough. We will never forgive ourselves for being gone when the Tuskens came."

"You gave him a childhood which developed the skills to survive the Tusken captivity, and to escape Hutt slavery as well. And I know you loved him dearly. Love gives strength. I know that."

Her eyes grew misty, "Indeed, I do love him. He's the best thing that ever happened to me and Owen."

There was a slight vibration in Vader's right hand, a reminder. He needed time in his hyperbaric chamber to address an oxygenation issue.

He rose to his feet and stalked toward the exit.

"Anakin."

He turned to look at her.

"I raised a Skywalker almost from birth. If you need a listening ear, I'm available."

His first instinct was outrage. Vader didn't need a counselor, or a friend ...

" _Don't be a ninny, Anakin,"_ the Senator said irascibly, " _She's exactly what you need."_

 _"_ _Can't I just talk to you, Senator?"_ he asked, aware that he sounded vaguely pathetic.

 _"_ _We have baggage, Anakin, like the fact that you strangled me. Beru is not as emotionally involved."_

He sighed.

"Thank you, Beru Lars," Anakin responded, "I will likely avail myself of your insight. And I appreciate your kindness."

/-

 _Bail and Breha Organa's bedroom_

 _At night_

 _Alderaan_

Bail usually fell asleep before his wife, as she was the night aryx in the family. Tonight, however, his mind was racing. The new day was an hour old, and still he lay awake when the door slid quietly open.

He heard Breha try to creep toward the refresher silently, so he spoke, "I'm still awake, my dear."

There was a huff of surprise, "Why?"

A sigh, "I can't sleep. How was the banquet?"

Low level lights flicked on, and Breha groaned softly even as she started removing her queenly regalia and robes.

"It was fine. Boring. It's just as well Leia didn't come. The speeches went on far too long. I'm sure by the end, my smile looked totally fake."

"I'm sure you did a beautiful job, as usual, my love."

Breha slipped into comfortable sleepwear and let down her hair, then crept into bed next to her husband. She leaned her dark head against his chest and ran a hand down his arm.

"What are you thinking about so worriedly, Bail?"

Viceroy Organa exhaled wearily, and cuddled her closer to him, "I talked to Obi-Wan and Vader before they left."

"I know."

"And," he took a deep breath, "I'm afraid hard decisions will have to be made about not just Leia, but you and I as well. She's a strong Force Sensitive, Breha."

"I guessed as much, given her biological sire."

"She ... could be a valuable player in bringing him down."

Breha shivered slightly. She hated Palpatine, and feared him. The thought of their precious girl taking him on directly ...

"And if she does get Force training, it won't be safe for you and me to be here on Alderaan."

The Queen sat up now, stunned, "Bail, what do you mean by that?"

He sat up as well, and ran a gentle hand down his wife's cheek, "Breha, no decisions have been made yet. But we are ... vulnerable spots for Leia. You must see that. If Palpatine were to imprison us and use us against her ..."

"We cannot abandon our people, Bail!"

The Consort sighed again, "We may not have a choice."

/-

 _7 days later_

 _Kamino_

The _Stalisti_ settled in orbit around Kamino.

 _Author Note: Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate. I'm a Christian, and I rejoice at the remembrance of the birth of my Savior._


	7. Chapter 7

Author Note: I'm doing something weird with this chapter. You can decide if you think it works. Also, I've introduced a totally OC Dark Side user. Don't look him up in Wookieepedia because he's not there!

-/

 _And it came to pass that in the 15_ _th_ _year of the reign of Emperor Sheev Palpatine, the Emperor turned on his former apprentice and second–in–command, Lord Darth Vader. Hunters and assassins searched the far corners of the galaxy for the black armored Dark Lord of the Sith, but no one sighted him, no one saw him. It was as if the man, or cyborg, or creature, was swallowed up by the Darkness which he once wielded with such terrifying power._

-/

 _Kamino_

"Are you all right, Father?"

Anakin lay back on the reclined bed and forced himself to breathe regularly and deeply.

His normal mask was off, a breath mask was on, which forced hyperoxygenated air into his lungs.

Outside this preparation chamber was the surgical suite, where the Kaminoans and their surgical droids prepared to rebuild Darth Vader into Anakin Skywalker.

(Such irony there. To think that the man he once was would rise again. Except that he would never be who he once was, never be the bright eyed boy from Tatooine with stars in his eyes and innocence in his heart.)

Luke leaned closer, obviously concerned.

"I am … well, my son. I am ready."

It had taken many weeks to reach this point. The Kaminoans, for vast sums, had agreed to secretly clone appropriate organs using his damaged body and the genetic information of his son. Kenobi had proven invaluable, as the old Jedi's previous interaction with the sentients of this strange planet gave him special insight into their thought processes. The scientists of Kamino took pride in medical achievement, and to create a mostly human body from the ashes of Darth Vader was achievement indeed.

If it worked. If his body, broken in the flows of Mustafar, was strong enough to survive the surgeries.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin rasped, his voice strange without his normal vocoder, "Obi-Wan. If I … if I die, promise me you will watch over my children."

"I promise, with all that is in me, that I will watch over the twins."

Anakin now dared to look at Luke, whose grip on his prosthetic limbs (shortly to be replaced with better components) had tightened.

He expected disbelief, and indignation from Luke at the suggestion that he might die in surgery but once again, he had underestimated Luke. The child, the youth, so close to becoming a man, had grown up on Tatooine, and Luke knew that death came, often when you didn't expect it, even more so when you did.

"I love you, Father," Luke said instead of protesting his gloomy comments, "And I will be with you in surgery."

And for the first time, Anakin felt his son deliberately reach out in the Force and brush against his father's mind and heart.

The scarred face smiled, the eyes itched again (perhaps, Anakin thought, after the surgery he could actually cry!) and he croaked softly, "I love you too, Son. And tell your sister, that I love her as well."

(12 hours later)

"The surgery has gone well. Anakin Skywalker is in an induced coma and we will decrease medication until he wakes up in approximately 24 hours."

/-

 _And it came to pass, in the 16_ _th_ _year of the reign of Emperor Sheev Palpatine, that Bail and Breha Organa, and their daughter, Leia, heir to the throne of Alderaan, were killed when their ship was destroyed by an unexpected meteor storm as they exited hyperspace on a diplomatic trip to Carida. As the Queen had no other children, an election was held among the Alderaanian elite. The Crown was bestowed on Breha's second cousin, Haxal Primon, who was a supporter of Emperor Palpatine._

 _/-_

 _Kilman's Parts and Repairs Shop_

 _Mos Espa_

 _Tatooine_

 _9 standard months after Anakin's surgery_

The door, a primitive one with hinges, creaked open and the Organas stepped into the shop.

It was blessedly cool(er) inside. Leia thought, rather frantically, that she would never take moderate temperatures for granted again. Her hair itched, sweat beaded on her face, and her entire body stifled under the earthen colored cloak which shielded her person from both the twin suns and any curious onlookers.

Not that anyone outside had seemed at all interested. This section of Mos Espa, one of the poorer areas, was full of individuals who carefully avoided unwise curiosity in the activities of others. That was, presumably, why the former Darth Vader, the third richest man in the galaxy, had set up a repair shop in a dusty, back world, ghetto.

Behind a large table in the shop stood a human male, who was either talking or arguing in Huttese with a blue Toydarian across from him. They were both staring at a motor on the table, and from the few words Leia recognized, the proprietor wanted more for repairing the item than the Toydarian was willing to pay.

Leia frowned slightly at him. He was tall, pale skinned, and dark haired. His eyes were blue. Those eyes, which glanced briefly at her before he reached for a tool, seemed vaguely familiar.

Bail turned to look at some of the wares displayed on the sides of shops. Breha did as well, and both did their uncomfortable best to seem interested in parts which were completely unfamiliar to Leia.

She sighed, and found herself drifting toward the back of the store. After a moment, she realized it was slightly cooler here. She was still _incredibly_ hot.

A door in the back suddenly swung open and Luke Skywalker stepped through. He shot her a quick smile, but didn't say anything to her or her parents. Instead, he stepped up to the man at the table, and they conversed at some length in Huttese, with the Toydarian interpolating occasional comments.

Luke nodded and started working on the motor, while the tall man looked at Bail.

"You are here about that coolant part, right? It's back here."

The man's voice was odd, as if it was slightly amplified or altered. Leia frowned, even as Bail followed the man through the back door and into a smaller room where Obi-Wan Kenobi was huddled over a holopad, his eyebrows furrowed. Kenobi looked up with a welcoming smile and rose to his feet.

And suddenly it all clicked in Leia's mind.

A tall man, with blue eyes like Luke's, whom Luke treated with comfortable familiarity.

Darth Vader.

Anakin Skywalker.

This relatively normal looking human was Leia's biological father.

Breha spoke, "You look very well, Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin smiled a little and Leia noted that the skin seemed rather tight on his cheeks.

"Thank you, Queen Breha. I still require various treatments, but my health has improved dramatically."

Leia found herself approaching, tilting her head to stare directly into Vader – no, Anakin Skywalker's face. Up close, she observed some mottling on his face, and the hair looked a little odd...

"It's not real hair," he said, as if reading her mind, and promptly pulled a wig off his head. His scalp was less healthy – it was completely white, and bald, and a number of scars crisscrossed the surface.

She hoped she didn't look horrified.

"Believe me, this is an improvement," he commented, again eerily responding to her thoughts.

The former Dark Lord paused, and then said gently, "I am pleased to see you looking well, Princess Leia. I am sure the last weeks have been challenging."

She stiffened and forced the welling tears back. Challenging indeed. When her parents had first mentioned, a few months ago, that they might need to disappear, to 'die', she had reacted by figuratively kicking and screaming.

Or was it literally? She did have a vague memory of kicking a hapless couch or two.

It had seemed like nonsense. Why should she leave her home, her responsibilities, her position as Heir of Alderaan, because she was biologically connected to the former Sith Darth Vader?

Who was now being hunted across the galaxy by the furious Emperor Palpatine.

But when Obi-Wan had visited her surreptitiously and confirmed her remarkable Force potential, her parents made an executive decision and put their plans in motion. And now they were all supposedly dead, and the crown had passed on to the quisling Haxal Primon, who would no doubt allow the Imperials to openly pillage Alderaan of her natural resources.

"It's only for a time, my love," her mother had said, "There is an end game in sight.

Leia clung to this hope, even as she carefully shrugged off her cloak and sighed in relief.

Anakin's eyes narrowed with sudden understanding, and he turned and abruptly left the room.

"He'll reduce the temperature for you," Obi-Wan said, "We know it will take time for you to adapt to Tatooine's climate."

Breha, who had taken off her own cloak, smiled wearily. She, like her daughter, was sweaty and disheveled.

"I find it a remarkable statement that _anyone_ could get used to the temperatures here, Obi-Wan."

He smiled back, but Bail spoke more urgently, even as the former Viceroy glanced at the door where Anakin had exited the room.

"How are you all doing?"

Kenobi understood the question, "We're doing very well. Anakin has healed remarkably in the last months – obviously physically, but also emotionally. Luke is a stabilizing influence and I will confess that Beru Lars astonishes me. She's managed to become Anakin's confessor and counselor, while maintaining the right to provide a figurative kick in the pants when needed."

Bail nodded in relief, "That is excellent news indeed."

"What was done to him medically?" Leia demanded.

Obi-Wan looked away, a sad expression on his face.

"A little explanation is needed, I'm afraid. The night before you and Luke were born, Darth Vader and I fought on the shores of the lava flows of Mustafar. Your father had turned Dark, refused to listen to reason, to me, or to your mother. He had just marched on the Jedi Temple in Coruscant, he had destroyed the Jedi Young ..."

Kenobi gulped and closed his eyes, seeking calm.

"I beat him, Princess, and cut off 3 of his limbs. I left him to die. He was burned terribly by lava. He caught on fire, effectively. Only his strength in the Force, and Palpatine's brutal medical methods kept him alive."

Leia was pale now. She loathed all that Darth Vader had become, but this was truly terrible.

The old Jedi's voice grew more gentle now, "Using your brother as a partial template, medical scientists on Kamino were able to clone many of Anakin's organs and replace them. They were able to restore his hearing and his eyes though he requires a daily medical regimen to maintain his health. His prosthetics have been replaced so he is his normal height now. The hair ... the hair is a loss, I'm afraid. Or at least he doesn't want to bother with pursuing anything esoteric to make it grow. Bald is beautiful."

In the back room where the coolant equipment was located, Anakin frowned and carefully yet confidently removed a panel with the Force and began ...

"Are you tinkering again, Father?"

Anakin grunted as he made a few adjustments, and then straightened with a little difficulty. His newly remade body worked immeasurably better than his former cyborg form but he still had odd aches when he moved awkwardly.

Given how uncomfortable he had often been as the mechanized Darth Vader, it was a minor inconvenience. It would be a long time before he took the improvements for granted.

"Your sister is overly heated," he explained.

Luke nodded and suppressed a smile. He knew his father was more comfortable with physical acts of caring than words.

"How is she?"

"She seems ... well," Anakin turned back and felt moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes.

Yes, he could cry again.

"She looks so much like your mother, Luke."

/-

 _And it came to pass, in the 17_ _th_ _year of the reign of Emperor Sheev Palpatine, that the Emperor promoted the Emperor's Hand Killiath Heln to the position of Apprentice, and gave him the title Darth Hamanen. Hamanen's father, a brutal bounty hunter, had perished at the hands of the Togruta Jedi Shaak Ti when Hamanen was but a child. Filled with rage and hatred and vengeance, Hamanen began to abuse and kill Togrutas across the galaxy._

 _/-_

 _Basement training space_

 _Kilman's Parts and Repairs Shop_

 _Tatooine_

 _1 year later_

"Your parents are here, Leia," Luke said softly.

His twin didn't move. Luke reached through the Force to poke her gently, and was rewarded when she suddenly opened her eyes.

"You were in deep," he said with a smile.

She grinned at him, "Yeah. It was amazing. I can't maintain that kind of connection to the Force when I'm doing something else, but I think I'm making progress. What's up?"

"Your parents are here."

She hopped up in excitement, reaching out, then her eyes darkened, "They are upset."

The door slid open at these words, and the Organas, Anakin, and Obi-Wan surged into the large room where the Skywalker twins trained with their mentors.

"We have to do something about Darth Hamanen!" Breha said passionately, "His battle groups are bombarding and invading Shili, destroying many Togruta and enslaving others. And on other planets, the Togruta are fair game to mercenaries and Imperials who seek their wealth and the bounties that Hamanen has put on their heads. The fledgling Alliance to Restore the Republic and other groups are trying to rescue them, but given that Palpatine is supporting Hamanen's actions, it is difficult."

"It's like Kashyyyk all over again," Kenobi said gravely.

"But it isn't the same," Leia said in bewilderment, "I mean, the Wookiees are indeed sentient, but they don't speak Basic and so it has been easier, perhaps, for individuals to discount their personhood. And they are so physically strong that as horrific as it is, there is a demented, disgusting logic in enslaving them. But the Togruta? They are everywhere. They aren't especially strong physically, they work a variety of trades, and they are well respected in many cultures. Why would Palpatine permit this when it seems likely to instill more anger and outrage and uprising among the peoples of the galaxy?"

"The Dark Side thrives on hatred and murder, my daughter," Anakin explained heavily, "Hamenen is not nearly as strong in the Force as the Emperor and me, though he was the strongest of the Hands. Perhaps Palpatine hopes that his apprentice will gain additional Dark Side powers through his rage and destruction."

"We also need to consider that this is Palpatine's method of drawing you out," Kenobi commented worriedly, "Both his replacement of you, and his barbarity towards the Togruta, may be designed to inflame you."

"Why the Togruta in particular?" Luke asked in a puzzled way.

"Because of ..." Kenobi started, then trailed away.

"Ahsoka," Anakin responded, turning uncomfortably away from the inquisitive eyes of his twins, "She was my padawan, my apprentice before I turned. I was ... very fond of her."

He shook his head, struggling to maintain calm, "And through my actions, she was destroyed."

There was a long and hesitant pause while Bail and Kenobi twitched worried eyebrows at one another.

"Ahsoka still lives, Anakin," Obi-Wan finally said.

-/

 _In the 18_ _th_ _year of the reign of Emperor Palpatine, on the planet of Kiros, in the Expansion Region, Darth Hamanen and his forces blockaded the planet in an attempt to capture and kill the Togruta Ahsoka Tano, known more widely by her code name Fulcrum, who was hiding on Kiros. Tano, deeply concerned for the 50,000 Togruta colonists on Kiros, surrendered herself to the newly anointed Dark Lord of the Sith._

 _Author Note: The name Hamanen is supposed to remind you of someone! Not a Star Wars someone, though!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Author Note: Hamanen is indeed patterned after Haman, in the Book of Esther from the Bible._

 _/-_

 _Evening_

 _The Gathering Place_

 _Shili City_

 _Shili_

Darth Hamanen gazed around in satisfaction. All was going according to plan. This place, this Gathering Place, was sacred to the Togruta, a place steeped in history where the mightiest of their warriors battled the mightiest of their beasts to the death.

A thoroughly primitive and barbaric ritual, but then the Togruta were primitives. Unworthy.

Hamanen stood on a dais that had been built at one end of the arena, near the gate where the beasts had come out in former days. The arena itself was occupied by 2 dozen reluctant Togruta, the elite, the leaders of their race, who had been ordered to attend the execution. Around the perimeter of the area was a legion of stormtroopers, their blasters held at the ready. Around them were the stands, currently empty save for a few Holonet journalists.

Hamanen's eyes drifted a few meters to his left where stood the stark and ominous 8 meter high gallows prepared for the Jedi Ahsoka Tano.

Or near Jedi, anyway. Force user. Whatever. Sufficiently like the Togruta Shaak Ti, who had killed Hamanen's father when Hamanen was but a child of 12.

He had not loved his father, who had treated his only son with casual and even brutal disdain on those rare occasions when they had interacted. But the former Killiath Heln had admired and venerated his father, who had hunted sentients as mere animals, and gained bloody glory and credits in the process. Until the Jedi Shaak Ti had interfered with a bounty collection, and killed Hamanen's father, ending some of the lavishness of his upbringing. Now he would have vengeance, not just against this Force user, but against the entire Togruta race. It was a pity, really, that Vader had seen to Ti's death years earlier.

But Tano was a reasonable alternative, as she was Togruta, female, and a trained Force sensitive. She was also a Rebel. Her destruction would please Hamanen's master Darth Sidious, and be another step in his plan to destroy the Togruta across the galaxy.

Indeed, once Tano was dead, his stormtroopers would kill the Togruta hostages, who were waiting on the arena floor with increasing unease. The entire proceedings were being transmitted across the galaxy by Holonet, and Hamanen had no doubt that his Master was sitting on his throne on Imperial Center, waiting and watching.

It was cold now, the wind whistling across the arena. The 24 Togruta standing were silent, though Hamanen could see shivers as they were not clad well for this event.

He smiled, unpleasantly, fingering the saber hilt at his waist.

A deep bong split the air. 1800 hours. The sun had slipped close to the horizon casting harsh shadows behind the gallows. Now the arena lighting came on, bathing the entire arena in light, with two beams focused on the gallows themselves.

The time had come.

Hamanen knew that his master thought this all rather elaborate. The gallows, the dramatic countdown, the reluctant witnesses. But Hamanen believed that such events engendered both fear and respect for the Empire, and more importantly, for himself. Even now, he sensed the growing terror of the Togruta leaders whose gazes were fixed on the gallows. And the fear fed him, fed the Dark Side within him. He could feel its dark, sepulcher glory rising in his soul, in his mind, in his limbs.

The door behind the gallows opened, slowly. Ahsoka Tano, with her hands manacled behind her, walked out, six guards marching next to her with blasters at the ready. Her blue and white montrals swung slightly as she turned her head from side to side. For a moment, her gaze was on the Togruta leadership, and Hamanen thought he detected sadness in that patterned visage. Then the eyes continued their search, until they landed on him.

Her blazing blue eyes met his own brown ones. He sneered in anticipation. Ahsoka Tano would hang high, but her death would not be an easy one. He fingered his lightsaber.

There was a soft murmur from the assembled Togruta, even as the junior Sith Lord started when a tremendous Force Presence abruptly bloomed in his mind.

He spun around, his hand already raising his lightsaber and lighting it. There was a gesture from one of the Imperial captains and suddenly they were firing at something to Hamanen's right. He glanced over and watched in surprise as a man, clad in black from collar to boots, leaped down 4 meters from the stands and then did another jump to land a few meters from Hamanen on the platform.

Up close, the human male's features were easy to see. Tall, bald, with thick, ropy scars across his pate, with intense blue eyes. The man's hand held a lightsaber, which flickered into life.

A blue lightsaber.

Hamanen's saber was also lit now, blood red. So ... a Jedi wannabe. The Sith Lord spoke quickly into a collar comlink to his troops, "Hold your fire!"

The last thing he needed was to be hit by friendly fire.

"Heln," the man said coldly, his voice strangely raspy.

Hamanen stiffened. Not many knew of his past as an Emperor's Hand, and the name he had carried so recently. Who was this?

"Darth Hamanen," he corrected, controlling his anger with difficulty.

(He had always been worthy of so much more than being a mere Hand. He had power, and intelligence, and giftedness in the Force. It had only been the presence of that mostly mechanical monstrosity, Darth Vader, which had kept him in the role of Hand for so long.)

"You think highly of yourself," the man responded, smirking unpleasantly, "You will never be strong enough to legitimately bear the title of Sith Lord. Though that is, of course, a good thing."

Hamanen lashed out furiously with his saber, only to be easily blocked, and beaten back, by the man in black. They exchanged blows, twirling and circling. The Apprentice Sith ground his teeth in frustration. This man was good? Who was he?

"You have learned well from someone," Hamanen managed to get out relatively calmly, though his breath was coming in great puffs.

"I've learned from the very best," the Other said cheerfully, his blade darting forward so rapidly that the Sith couldn't block. The blue saber slashed through Hamanen's dark tunic and into flesh, but it was only a shallow blow. The pain was sudden and intense, but not debilitating.

Again, the Unknown danced forward, whirling and twisting. Hamanen struggled to defend himself, but he was gripped with sudden terror. This man was too skilled for him.

"Who are you?" he gasped out, retreating a meter.

The blue eyes narrowed, the face grew grim, "I was once the man you knew as Darth Vader. Now surrender to me, or die."

Hamanen gaped. It was impossible. Inconceivable!

"Vader is dead! My master told me that he was hunted down and destroyed 6 months ago!"

The bald head shook slowly, even as the tall figure began sidling slightly to Hamanen's right side. The Sith shifted in response, struggling to maintain his courage and failing miserably.

"He lied to you. He is using you, Killiath Heln, even as he used and manipulated me for so many years. You lack the Force strength to be a true Sith apprentice. But Palpatine knew that if casting me aside did not draw me out, attempting to publicly execute my former apprentice would."

Hamanen gasped, his eyes darting toward Tano.

Who wasn't there anymore. The guards who had accompanied her were lying in dead heaps on the ground, but his prisoner was gone.

"You lie! You lie! Vader was never worthy. I am a true Sith. And I will kill you now!"

"Fine," the man in black snapped back. He did a forward leap over Hamanen's head, spun around, and chopped off his opponent's head.

" _I tried, Senator,"_ he commented.

 _"_ _I know, Ani. I'm afraid he was too stubborn and stupid to survive. Some people are."_

Anakin glanced around the arena. The Togruta hostages stood stiff with bewilderment and fear, their eyes either on the headless body of Hamanen, or on the troopers surrounding them with blasters at the ready.

The legion of stormtroopers stood at attention, clearly bewildered. Anakin knew their last order had been to hold fire, and troopers were trained to follow orders mindlessly. The lone officer among them twitched with uncertainty, but did not raise his voice.

The door behind the gallows suddenly slid open again, and Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi hurried through.

"Snips!"

"Skyguy!"

"Anakin," Kenobi said hastily, "We need to get these Togruta out of here to safety. And we are indeed going to have that visitor we expected."

The blue eyes flashed, "I'm ready, Obi-Wan. But yes, maybe Ahsoka and you can guide them out through the side gate ...?"

"I'm staying with you, Master," Tano said, her montrals twitching in determination, her hands holding the two lightsabers that Obi-Wan had just given her.

She turned to the Togruta leaders standing in disbelief and gestured towards Kenobi, "Go with him!"

This apparently galvanized the Imperial officer to action, as the troopers twitched and began firing. Anakin stretched out in Force and concentrated, creating a shield around the Togruta leaders who were now scurrying after Obi-Wan towards a side entrance he and Kenobi had scouted out earlier. At the same time, he leaped into action, attacking the officer and troopers near him.

Snips was, as Anakin fully expected, deflecting the laser blasts coming her way, and was wreaking her own havoc among the troopers who were clearly unnerved by this battle. He was relieved to note that she was uninjured. Apparently Hamanen had kept her unharmed for his dramatic execution.

Such an idiot.

Just as Kenobi and the Togruta disappeared through the side gate, a shuttle dropped from the sky. The remaining troopers stopped firing and retreated to the side of the arena to wait, obviously at someone's command.

Even as the shuttle drifted to the arena floor, numerous other troopers dropped into the nearby stands, having scaled the walls or descended from ships. It was dark now, and Anakin didn't care to figure out how they were getting in. They were pawns; well trained, but not the focal point of the upcoming drama. The focal point was ...

"Is that …?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin nodded grimly, "Indeed it is."

He felt a surge of fear, "We'd best not be taken alive, Master."

Now Anakin Skywalker smiled, "Don't worry, Snips. I have a plan."

"Uh, what kind of plan?"

"What else? A crazy plan."

Snips grinned in a rather feral way, "The best kind, Skyguy."

The ramp of the shuttle lowered.

Fifteen Imperial Royal Guards descended, Force pikes at the ready.

And then, with numerous troops in the stands, with others in the arena surrounding Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, Emperor Sheev Palpatine walked slowly down the ramp and onto the arena floor.

He was old now, bent with age and evil. But his Force powers had only grown in the 18 years since he had brought down the ancient Republic and installed himself as the Emperor of the galaxy.

At the bottom of the ramp he stepped forward carefully, though he stayed out of range of a bomb. It was unlikely that Darth Vader, no, Anakin Skywalker would try something so crude, but Skywalker had startled Palpatine repeatedly the last 3 years.

Which Sidious did not appreciate, _at all_.

He was … surprised. He had guessed Darth Vader would make some attempt to work on his physical issues, but the man standing tall next to Tano looked far more like Anakin Skywalker than the cyborg Vader. Someone had done a great deal of work.

Palpatine made a vague note in the back of his mind to hunt down and destroy that someone in revenge for fixing his former apprentice. He had been annoyed when Vader had been damaged so thoroughly at Mustafar, but had later decided it was for the best. The man was incredibly strong in the Force, and had been easier to manage as an injured, rather debilitated cyborg.

He was now so much stronger, and his Force Presence was so powerful that Palpatine had to raise his shields slightly to protect himself. And most disturbingly, disgustingly, the Force was almost completely Light now. It was absurd, really. No one returned from the Dark Side.

Except, apparently, the Chosen One. The Ancient One ground his yellowed teeth in frustration.

"So at last, you return to me, Vader," he said coldly, his voice carrying across the distance between them.

Anakin clenched his lit lightsaber more tightly, "Anakin Skywalker. I am no longer the servant who obeyed you so mindlessly, so slavishly, so barbarically, for fifteen years."

Beside him, he felt Snips twitch convulsively. He reached out an apologetic Force tendril. She hadn't known, obviously. She hadn't realized, until this moment, that he had turned on the Jedi, hunted them, destroyed them. That he had become Darth Vader

For a moment, Anakin was terrified she would turn on him, but he felt, abruptly, a surge of determination to stick with him, regardless of his horrible decisions at the dawn of the Empire.

Sidious had obviously been waiting for Tano's reaction, for now he smiled slightly and continued, "You are blessed with most forgiving friends, Anakin Skywalker. I promise you that I am not as forgiving as they are. You will be taken today, and you will suffer long before you die, and your apprentice with you."

"I think not, Palpatine," Tano said with raised voice, her teeth bared, both sabers lit.

Behind them both, a door opened and Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped into the arena, his old face filled with determination,

"Today your evil reign ends," the old man called.

The elder Sith gestured around him.

"There are 250 troops surrounding you and the Togruta, Anakin Skywalker. Not just any troops, but my best troops. Do you really imagine that you can destroy me, survive, flee? You were always impetuous, but you have walked into my trap today. And you, Kenobi, have grown old and foolish in your exile. Today will truly be a day to remember. It will see the last of Kenobi and the Jedi."

"We'll see," Anakin said, and leaped forward.

The troops directly across and near Anakin began firing on him and Ahsoka, carefully, to avoid any chance of hitting the Emperor. Anakin and Tano were immediately hard pressed as the rain of bolts was difficult to avoid. Kenobi did not approach them directly, but began fighting the troopers in the arena, seeking to disrupt their attack on his companions.

Nevertheless, within 15 seconds, a bolt broke through and hit Ahsoka on the arm.

"Snips!" Anakin cried, agonized by the pain surging through his apprentice, even as he continued the battle to keep both of them safe, even as he struggled to get closer to the Emperor.

Sidious grinned to himself with a smile that would make grown men cry, and he walked forward, closer to Skywalker who was still meters away. He raised his spindly arms and Force Lightning flew out, flew out toward Anakin Skywalker, to strike him down, to paralyze him ...

Abruptly, there was a shock in the Force. Palpatine turned in astonishment, just as a boy with blue eyes like stars, with dark blond hair and tanned skin, leaped forward toward him with a green blade. The Sith gathered all his considerable power and turned his attention on his new enemy. The boy stopped and focused all his attention on catching the Force Lightning with his lightsaber, his face contorted with concentration.

Sidious thought furiously and fearfully. The boy, whoever he was, was clearly gifted and trained. And his Royal Guards. What were they doing? Where were they? They were trained to defend him, but something was happening. He didn't dare turn away, but he sensed them falling, dying ...

And then another saber, also green, slashed down across his arms, severing them both at the elbows. He screamed in agony and rage and horror and fear.

It was more than he had ever imagined, this pain. It was worse even than that day when he had enticed Anakin Skywalker to pledge himself to the Dark Side, the day that Mace Windu had deflected his own Force Lightning onto his visage, changing his appearance forever.

Darth Sidious fell to the ground.

And just as quickly, he was yanked to his feet by a slight figure, one who also shone with the power of the Force.

"Everyone stand down, or the Emperor dies!" Leia Organa called out, her voice ringing across the arena.


	9. Chapter 9

_After dusk_

 _The Gathering Place_

 _Shili City_

 _Shili_

"Everyone stand down, or the Emperor dies!" Leia Organa called out, her voice ringing across the arena. She had her left arm wrapped around the injured despot, and her right hand held the green lightsaber near the Emperor's neck.

The volume of her voice was augmented by the Force, and within seconds, the three surviving Royal Guards had swiveled toward her, their Force Pikes held high. And then, as the words trickled into their brains, the other troopers in the arena turned from their individual targets and pointed their weapons at her.

The pain coursing through the Emperor fueled the Dark Side, but his body was weak, he knew that. He was no longer young, and the removal of both arms at the elbows had crippled him substantially. But he had survived severe danger before, though none so biologically damaging.

"There is no escape from here," he managed to rasp aloud, "Let us discuss this matter ..."

"No," the blond haired boy said, stepping closer, even as his own green blade was held up to the other side of Darth Sidious's neck, "There will be no discussion. Tell your men to stand down and let us leave or we will kill you. You have 10 seconds."

Panic clawed Palpatine's heart. If the former Darth Vader took him hostage his end would likely be unpleasant. But better to be alive than not. Where there was life, there was hope.

"5 seconds," the youth said, the green blade creeping closer.

"Stand down," the Emperor ordered loudly. In an instant, the guards had their Force pikes down and within another few seconds, the blasters were lowered.

Anakin Skywalker hurried forward, "Get him on board the shuttle!"

Palpatine felt himself being lifted up and dragged aboard, and a moment later the girl (she seemed familiar, though in his terror the Emperor couldn't place her) injected something into his stringy neck, and everything went black.

"How badly are you hit, Ahsoka?" Kenobi asked as he helped the Togruta onboard.

"It's not terrible," Tano responded with a gasp of pain as her arm was jostled, "Not great either."

Anakin began giving orders, "Luke, take the controls of the shuttle! Leia, help him. I'll guard Sidious. Kenobi, care for Ahsoka."

Luke hustled into the shuttle cockpit with Leia in pursuit and began a rapid start up sequence. It was a good thing he was an awesome pilot, because most of his brain cells were occupied with what had just gone down.

" _Was this the plan?"_ Luke inquired (rather pathetically) of his sister and father, " _Taking the Emperor hostage_?"

" _No, not the original plan, but we'll work with what we've got_ ," his father sent back, " _I was expecting to kill him but we have a better chance of surviving with him on board and temporarily alive. There are more troops than I expected, and I suspect a fleet in space. Go on now – we're using Plan B to get off Shili."_

"Why plan B?" Luke muttered to his sister, "Why not call it Plan A since this was the primary plan?"

"Don't ask me," she shot back, "Just get us out of here!"

The ramp closed, the shuttle lifted off and flew into the darkness.

/-

 _The Super Star Destroyer_ Eclipse

 _In Orbit around Shili_

Admiral Kendal Ozzel was out of his depth. He knew it. He could feel the sweat beading in his armpits, could feel his face flushing, and he knew he would hyperventilate if given the opportunity.

He hadn't been told the details of this mission but he was quite certain that the abduction of Emperor Palpatine had not been the intended plan!

What was he supposed to do? The Emperor was the most important individual in the Empire; indeed, if he died, the Empire would likely collapse.

And given that Ozzel's meteoric rise to the upper echelons of the Imperial Navy was tied directly into his Caridan family's support of Palpatine, the Emperor's death was not acceptable!

But what could he do? Palpatine was trapped on board a shuttle with unknown assailants. And while Ozzel had the greatest respect for the man's mysterious Force powers, the word on the ground was that the Emperor had been badly injured.

And Darth Hamanen, the Emperor's apprentice, was _dead_.

This, if nothing else, convinced Ozzel of the seriousness of the situation. Sith Lords did not die in the middle of Imperial operations. It just wasn't done. It was really quite crass and unprofessional, but then Ozzel had never been particularly impressed with Hamanen - or Vader, for that matter, but at least Vader had seemed entirely in control until he had disappeared so abruptly.

If the Emperor died on his watch, Ozzel's career would be ruined. Indeed, there was every reason to believe he would be executed for failure.

What _should_ he do?

A thought occurred to him. Seek counsel, and shift any potential blame. Sometimes, making as few decisions as possible was the way to go.

"Captain," he said suddenly to his second-in-command.

"Yes, sir?"

"Take over the bridge and order all ships in the orbiting Fleet to track the Emperor's shuttle. Make it clear that the Emperor must not be endangered. I must make a vital holocall to Imperial Center."

"Yes, sir!" the captain replied smartly.

He waited for the Admiral to leave, then signaled the TIE squadrons 2 and 3.

"Track the shuttle carrying the Emperor. Do not fire upon her without orders, but try to keep her from leaving Shili's gravity well."

/-

 _A random large glade in a forest near Shili City_

 _20 minutes later_

Han Solo frowned as he leaned over the communicator.

"Is there Imperial pursuit of your craft?"

The answer did not make him happy.

"Moons and stars, Kilman, what have you done? Get here as fast as you can, then. Solo out."

He stabbed the communicator and glared at his co-pilot, "Prepare us for take-off as soon as they get here, Chewie. This job is going to get us killed! Why did I let you talk me into taking it?"

The mighty Wookiee chortled softly and then roared at some length.

"She is more than 10 years younger than me. She's a kid, Chewie. Don't be ridiculous."

Chewbacca managed a near impossibility, a sniggering growl.

Ten minutes later, the shuttle touched down near the _Millennium Falcon_ and the occupants raced down the ramp as soon as it had lowered completely.

All save their hostage, who was still unconscious.

"Why don't we just kill him?" Tano demanded, panting slightly from exertion and the pain in her injured arm.

Anakin was carrying, _carrying_ , his former master, watching the yellowed skull bouncing slightly as he moved rapidly toward the _Millennium Falcon_. Palpatine was remarkably light for someone who had managed to terrorize an entire galaxy.

"We will, Snips, I promise, but for now we need him alive. They won't shoot us down so long as Palpatine is alive and on board."

"Better we die with him than to allow him to live much longer."

Anakin bared his teeth, "I agree, Ahsoka. But we'll manage to kill him and stay alive ourselves."

He hoped.

At the top of ramp stood Han Solo. Anakin had met the man many months ago, in a slimy bar (literally – an enclave of sentient mosses had chosen to inhabit one wall) in Mos Espa, in an encounter which was clearly directed by the Force. Solo was intelligent, an amazing pilot, and had demonstrated a capacity for risky missions which paralleled Anakin's own more insane antics in his glory days.

Anakin just hoped the man could handle this latest mission, which had proven as exciting as it possibly could be.

He felt a brief twinge of guilt; Solo didn't know his true identity, or the identities of his children and former master and apprentice. All the smuggler knew was that Nika Kilman, proprietor of a parts and repair facility in Mos Espa, was willing to pay top credit for certain illegal activities. This particular mission had required a backup craft, and Anakin had made full use of Solo's battered but remarkably agile ship. He hoped it wouldn't get the man killed. He was paying the man very well and would provide a substantial bonus, but still ...

Solo was standing at the top of the ramp and looking upset, "What did you get us into, Kilman? Are you injured? And who are these people? Do you need a med kit?"

Leia answered, "Ahsoka here is injured, not badly. Our hostage is injured more badly, but he'll live. For now. Get us out of here, Captain. We've got TIE's closing in on us.

"Hostage? What?" Han Solo sputtered briefly and then raced for the cockpit, "Chewie, get us out of here!"

As the _Falcon_ lifted off, the charges set in the abandoned shuttle exploded in a blaze of metallic chunks which soared high, briefly lighting up the darkness of night. The battered freighter wobbled just slightly, then rose toward space, and freedom.

"I hope that blowing up the shuttle will confuse them for a while," Anakin muttered to Kenobi, even as they both worked on getting the unconscious Emperor strapped firmly down to a reclined med table in the main cabin.

"How much did Leia give him?" Obi-Wan asked.

"25 cc's," Anakin grunted back as he carefully analyzed a lock, "Which is enough to put down a gundark, but you know that Sidious will use the Force to diminish the medication's effects. No matter what happens, I am staying here with him until he is dead. He's too dangerous to be left alone. And he's incredible with locks and restraints. I doubt this will hold him."

Kenobi nodded, a trace of unease crossing his face, "Are you going to be all right with this, Anakin?

His former student gazed at the wrinkled and ugly visage of the man who had nearly destroyed him, "I have to be, Obi-Wan."

Kenobi clapped a hand on his old friend's arm and said, "I'm going to check on Ahsoka. That blaster wound looks serious but not life threatening."

In the cockpit, Solo and Chewbacca and the Skywalker twins stared out of the transparisteel front window as the ship climbed toward space.

"Don't go directly towards Tatooine," Luke cautioned, "We'll need to make a couple of jumps to throw the Imperials off our trail."

"No need to tell me my job, Kid," Solo grumbled, "I've been doing this kind of thing since you were knee high to a shaak. But I want to know about this hostage you've brought on board _right now_. I don't do torture, you got that? Or blatant murder of a helpless man, especially one as old as that dude looks. So if that's what you have in mind, then you can forget about it right now. Who is he, anyway?"

Luke and Leia exchanged glances.

"You're better off not knowing, Han Solo," Luke said softly.

Solo flew with casual grace even as he turned away from the viewscreen and glared at the young man, "I _will_ know, right now. Anybody you bring on my ship is my responsibility!"

" _He does deserve to know_ ," Leia sent telepathically.

Luke sighed, "Ok. But prepare yourself for a shock, Solo. It's Emperor Palpatine."

"Right," Solo growled.

The twins waited.

"What?! You can't be serious! You brought the Emperor of the Galaxy on my ship as a hostage? That's crazy and impossible. He's got guards, he's got weird powers, or so I've heard. There is no way! And my fee just went up!"

Leia chuckled openly now, and patted Han's arm in a reassuring manner, "Well, we killed many of the guards and sliced off his arms. Taking him hostage wasn't the original plan, but it'll be easier to get off Shili and into hyperspace if we can convince the Imperials in orbit that he'll die if they don't let us through."

The _Falcon_ was climbing through clouds now, and for a long moment Solo seemed focused on his flying.

"And then what?" he asked, "Assuming you actually have Emperor Palpatine in my main cabin, what are you going to do? Ransom him for billions of credits?"

Leia shook her head, her gaze resolutely on the man in front of her, "No, Captain Solo. We're going to kill him. Not unpleasantly, but thoroughly. He's caused so much pain and anguish and death and destruction that he is not exiting this ship on our watch, whether you like it or not."

There was a soft growl from the Wookiee, and Solo looked at her even as he nodded grimly, "If you don't kill him, I will. He was responsible for the pillaging of Kashyyyk and the murder and enslavement of most of Chewie's clan."

The smuggler's face grew gloomy now, "But I think you're probably just crazy people and I don't want crazy people killing an innocent old man. You need to prove he's the Emperor before you kill him."

The _Falcon_ broke from atmosphere and headed into space, and the captain spoke again, with concern in his voice, "But I think we have more immediate problems than the identity of your hostage."

Abruptly, looming in the relatively near distance of space, was a Star Destroyer.

Aboard the _Avenger_ , Captain Lorth Needa was rigid with anxiety. The latest reports were that the Emperor's shuttle (with the Emperor possibly on board) had been found in a million scattered pieces on the ground near Shili City after a substantial explosion.

So the Emperor might be dead. Or not. There were indications that another craft had been nearby, and the Emperor might possibly have been transferred.

This whole operation was shaping up to be a complete disaster for the Imperial Navy.

A lieutenant looked up from a screen, "Captain, a ship has appeared on our scopes!"

"Scan and report!" Needa ordered, "Is it one of ours?"

There was a pause, and a tech spoke, "No, sir. It's a light freighter, possibly a YT-1300."

"Hail them," Needa ordered.

A tense 60 seconds went by, before the tech said, "They are not responding to hailing, sir."

"Order TIES already launched to fire on them. And launch squadrons 4 and 5. They may be associated with the Emperor's abduction."

Aboard the _Falcon_ , the hails had naturally gone unheeded, but the sudden barrage of fire informed the occupants of the freighter that they definitely needed to get out of here.

"When can you make the jump to lightspeed?" Leia demanded.

Han responded tensely, "I've entered the nav coordinates, but we're still within Shili's gravity well. We need to get past that Star Destroyer."

"That ..." Luke began, just as the ship lurched, "Is not going to be easy!"

"Chewie, fire up the main guns," Solo ordered, "And come with me, Kid."

"I've got an idea!" Leia said, rushing from the cabin. Outside a small cabin she saw Obi-Wan Kenobi, who peered out the door with an anxious look on his face.

"Leia, what's happening?"

"We're under attack by TIEs and likely a Star Destroyer soon."

Kenobi muttered softly in distress, then glanced behind him even as he lowered his voice, "Leia, Ahsoka is injured more severely than I knew. I have to focus on her or ... or we may lose her."

Leia closed her eyes just briefly, then nodded briskly, "We'll manage, Obi-Wan. Stay with her. Anakin will ... you know he'll be devastated if we lose her. Use all your powers to save her, Ok?"

The old desert hermit nodded gravely, "I will. I promise."

/-

On board the _Avenger_ , Needa was coping with a stream of information.

"Personnel on the ground confirm that there are no biological remains in the wreckage of the Emperor's shuttle!"

"Inform the _Eclipse_ that we have an unknown freighter attempting to flee. It is not returning hails," he ordered an ensign.

"Yes, sir!"

"Sir, the ship is firing on our TIEs now."

And on the _Falcon_...

"I got one!" Luke exclaimed.

"Great, Kid, don't get cocky!"

On the _Avenger._..

"Sir, the ship is hailing us."

"On screen!" Needa ordered, straightening himself.

There was a flicker, and the main holoscreen on the bridge lit up. The captain of the _Avenger_ sucked in a careful breath.

"Lieutenant, run facial recognition to evaluate whether that is the Emperor," he murmured.

For the image showed a man, dressed in a cloak, secured firmly to some kind of bed. The prisoner was apparently unconscious, and his face was thin, yellowed and severely wrinkled. And beside him stood another man, tall, middle aged, with magnetic blue eyes and a bald, scarred head. Very bald. Very scarred. And the second man, the bald one, was holding a blaster up against the prisoner's skull.

"What do you want?" Needa demanded.

"You will order a cease fire and allow us to depart, or the Emperor dies," the Bald One said starkly.

The captain's heart thudded faster. His last orders from Admiral Ozzel were that he must not to endanger the Emperor, if this indeed was Palpatine. It wasn't like Needa had ever met the Emperor in person ... and this guy looked more like a living corpse than the ruler of the known galaxy.

"Facial recognition confirms that is Emperor Palpatine," murmured the technician softly.

Needa was rather shocked, truth to be told. The Emperor was _ugly_. And _old_.

Now what?

"The freighter's shield strength is falling rapidly under TIE fire," the lieutenant reported.

"Cease fire," Needa ordered, then turned to the Emperor's abductor.

"Who are you," he demanded, "And what do you want?"

"My name, and my purpose, are not important," the Abductor stated coldly. His voice was odd, as if it was mechanically augmented in some way, "It is enough to know that I will kill the Emperor before your eyes if you do not allow us to enter hyperspace."

Needa rigorously kept his face calm even as he felt a cold sweat break out underneath his collar. Now what?

He saw a message flash next to him, and breathed a sigh of relief. The _Eclipse_ , which was obviously monitoring the situation, had given specific orders.

"Very well, you may go. But if the Emperor suffers harm, there is no place in this galaxy that you will not be found. I personally will hunt you down and kill you, if necessary."

(Not that Needa had any intention of going on any kind of personal rampage, but it would be best if he generated an air of concern and enthusiasm for his liege.)

The man with the blaster smiled very unpleasantly, "Then until we meet again, Captain Needa."

Needa blinked at this awareness of his identity, even as the freighter sped up, and, two minutes later, made the jump to lightspeed, with Emperor Palpatine on board as a prisoner.

Back on Imperial Center, night had fallen long ago, and most of the city slept. The door to Ars Dangor's very opulent office suddenly flew open and Sate Pestage, still with the smell of Trillium soap clinging to his person, rushed in.

"Ah, there you are, Councilor Pestage," Dangor said gravely, "I'm afraid we have a most serious situation on our hands."

"Is it true?" Pestage demanded incredulously, "The Emperor has been abducted?"

"Indeed, and the ship he is aboard just made the jump to lightspeed, unknown destination."

"What? How could you let that happen?"

Dangor solemnly ran the recordings from the _Eclipse_ and the _Avenger_ , and Pestage was nearly drooling in rage by the end of it.

"How could you let the ship go? You should have shot it down! You should never have given Ozzel that order without consulting me!"

"I was unable to reach you," Dangor riposted smoothly, "As your protocol droid absolutely refused to interrupt your bubble bath. I did speak with Ysanne Isard. She believes, as I do, that the Emperor can manage a group of mercenaries, whoever they are. The key was to keep him alive until he regained consciousness. Isard and I believe that his abductors would have killed his Royal Highness and themselves rather than allow the Emperor to be rescued. Their own deaths would be long and painful in such an event, and they must know that.

"If the Emperor cannot escape on his own, we will pay the ransom, whatever it is. But I doubt that will be an issue. I have no doubt that within hours, his Royal Highness will be free and safe, and his abductors either dead or his prisoners."

Sate Pestage ran a shaking hand across his face. His exalted role in the Imperial government was very much dependent on being one of the Emperor's favorites. And being in a bubble bath during a major Imperial crisis was not the sort of thing he ever wanted to get out publicly.

"Very well, Councilor Dangor, I trust you are right," Pestage said as he drew his tattered dignity close to him like a garment, "In the meantime, we should identify the Emperor's captors."

"We are indeed working on that," Dangor responded calmly, even as he attempted to suppress a twinkle in his eye. A bubble bath. He couldn't wait for that news to get around.


	10. Chapter 10

_The Millennium Falcon_

 _In hyperspace_

Solo stepped out of the cockpit and walked toward the main cabin. They were in lightspeed, safe (at least temporarily) and had 2 hours before the next course correction.

Leia Kilman (if that was really her name) was standing just inside the entrance to the main cabin. Her brow was furrowed and she was staring straight at ...

"That really is the Emperor, isn't it?" Solo asked softly, "Incredible."

"Indeed," croaked the prisoner, even as he abruptly rolled to his feet, his bonds falling to the ground.

The girl next to him reached for her weapon even as Solo instantly pulled his own blaster and squeezed the trigger. He watched incredulously as the bolt deflected as if off a hidden shield surrounding the Emperor.

Beside Solo, there was a sudden hum. He glanced to his left, to see the girl now with a lit ... sword of some kind, green ... wait, wasn't that a _lightsaber_?

"I think not, Leia Organa," the Emperor said, his own face furrowed in anger and pain, "If you attack me, your mentor dies."

Leia glanced over at her father, who was standing rigidly, his blue eyes fixed wildly ahead. And around this man whom she had grown to care for, perhaps even love, was an aura of pure evil.

 _"_ _Luke!"_ she screamed through the Force.

 _("Hello, Ani."_

 _Anakin sucked in an amazed breath. He could see her sitting on a rock, in a glade, surrounded by trees. It was dark, twilight perhaps, and the mists filled the little hollows. She was there, and he was there, just the two of them, perhaps the only two living beings in this strange world._

 _"_ _Senator."_

 _"_ _Please, Ani, please ..."_

 _Her beautiful face had not aged a day since they'd last seen one another, on that dreadful landing platform on the hellish planet of Mustafar._

 _"_ _You know I can't call you, call you ... because I hurt you, I strangled you ..."_

 _"_ _Calling me 'Senator' doesn't change that, Ani.'"_

 _"_ _It is easier for me."_

 _Her dark eyebrows lifted, "And is everything about you?"_

 _"_ _Oh ... oh Padme, you know it isn't."_

 _"_ _There, you said it, was that so hard?"_

 _"_ _I guess not," he was weeping now, openly, "I'm so sorry, Padme."_

 _Her hands were on him now, not the hands of death, or of fear, not cold hands, but warm, inviting, gentle hands._

 _"_ _Look at me, Anakin."_

 _He looked up, his blue eyes full of tears._

 _"_ _I forgive you, Ani. I do. You need to forgive yourself."_

 _He found himself gulping even as he finally looked carefully around him._

 _"_ _Where am I? What is this? Am I dead?"_

 _"_ _This? Blowing mist and weepy trees and soggy ground? No, certainly not the Afterlife, my love. I would have gone mad long ago if I had to put up with an eternity of damp clothing. No, this is very odd in a thoroughly dull way. The Afterlife is much nicer. No, I think Palpatine attacked you."_

 _"_ _I'm such an idiot."_

 _"_ _You are not, Anakin. You are one of the smartest people I know."_

 _"_ _I messed up this time, though. I didn't break the bond between us. I thought given that I had turned back to the Light that he wouldn't have a hold on me but I was wrong. He's got me. I can't break free."_

 _"_ _Oh, Ani ..."_

 _"_ _Whatever happens, I won't let the children suffer from my bond with Sidious. I'll die first ...")_

Luke skidded around the corner and stopped abruptly, shocked and dismayed by the tableau in front of him.

In the center of the _Falcon'_ s main cabin stood the Emperor, obviously in pain, obviously weak from the amputation of both arms. But he was up, he was vertical, and the remains of his arms were stretched out toward ...

Anakin Skywalker, who stood, as if struck by lightning, with a fixity of expression that boded ill for the man who was Luke's father.

And when Luke reached out through the Force, he couldn't feel anything, couldn't feel the heart and soul and mind of Anakin Skywalker.

His Father.

"What have you done to him?" he demanded, his own hand on his lightsaber, which hummed to life.

"Not so fast, young ..." the Emperor stared for a long moment, and then what was probably supposed to be a smile, but was instead a pained grimace, filled his distasteful visage, "Skywalker, is it not?"

Luke jerked just slightly, and knew that he had betrayed himself.

"I see."

Now the old man was smiling openly, his yellowed and pointed canines clear to the assembled group, "Your father found you on Ryloth, didn't he? And filled with a belated and pathetic sympathy toward his long lost son, he abandoned his position as my apprentice in favor of caring for an ill favored whelp. Most interesting ..."

"Let him go," Luke ordered, willing his voice to remain calm.

"It doesn't work like that, young Skywalker," the Emperor said viciously, "He is mine. He has always been mine. If you so much as move, either physically or in the Force, I promise you with everything that I am that your father dies. Your choice. If you wish him to live, you will drop your weapons, and order your pilot to drop out of hyperspace. We will proceed to the nearest Imperial outpost and you will all surrender to my troops."

A smile now, one which was probably meant to be fatherly, "Take heart, young Skywalker. You have great power and potential. I am sure you will be a most valuable servant at my side in my great Empire."

"Luke ..." Leia whispered.

Luke shook his head, his eyes filled with tears, even as he looked at his father, still standing, frozen, apparently unseeing.

"I can't ... I can't lose him. We can't just let him ..."

Palpatine took breath of satisfaction, mixed inextricably with unease. He was pushing himself to his very limit, something he hadn't done in literally decades. The majority of his power was focused on Anakin Skywalker and keeping him paralyzed, and under control. It was fortunate he had worked hard on this particular aspect of their bond. Two more tendrils were focused on the two partially trained young ones. If they moved, he would kill the former Darth Vader.

And his remaining Force strength was propping up his aged and injured body. He had never known how debilitating amputation was.

It was, perhaps, not a surprise that with Darth Sidious focused so intently on the other Force users in the room, he only sensed the new danger at the very last moment. Too late.

Chewbacca the Wookiee, who had approached on surprisingly soft feet from a back entrance to the room, abruptly grabbed the ancient despot, and proceeded to break the Emperor's neck.

This time, consciousness departed very thoroughly, and for the very last time.

And then, just for good measure, Chewie ripped the remains of Palpatine's arms off.

The Emperor was dead.

 _("Ani? Ani? Are you all right?"_

 _"_ _Padme, oh Padme...")_

Kenobi rushed into the cabin and stopped in disbelief, "What happened?"

Luke had dropped on the floor next to Anakin, who was lying quietly, his eyes closed now.

"He's breathing," the youth gasped, "Oh Father, Father!"

"Tatooine Suns, Chewie," Han muttered, "Did you have to make such a mess? Blood everywhere."

Chewbacca was howling victoriously, even as he headed towards the refresher to clean up his fur.

And Obi-Wan was also on his knees now next to the man who had been more brother than friend, before Darth Sidious had twisted Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader.

And until Luke Skywalker had appeared in his father's life, and brought Anakin back.

Luke was crying, even as Kenobi sensed him reach out through the Force to his father.

"What happened, Ben?" he demanded.

Kenobi shook his head slowly, "I suspect that Palpatine's death injured Anakin through their Force bond, Luke. But Anakin's strong. If anyone can survive, he can."

"How is Ahsoka?" Leia asked worriedly, "Does she need tending?"

Obi-Wan shook his gray head, "She's in a healing Force trance. I wish I'd been here earlier. Maybe I could have done something ..."

Leia shook her head firmly, "It happened so fast, Obi-Wan. And Chewbacca handled it perfectly."

She straightened now and stepped forward to embrace Chewbacca, who had just emerged, dripping, from the refresher.

"I love you, Chewbacca," she said solemnly, "Thank you for saving us all."

And Luke, who remained on the floor looked up also with gratitude on his face, "Yes, thank you, Chewbacca. I couldn't do what needed to be done, and you did. No matter what happens ... happens with Father, you have done a great thing in ridding the galaxy of Palpatine."

Chewie howled in embarrassed triumph, and Leia smiled a little before looking at Han Solo, "So do you want me to help clean up the mess? And what do you think we should do with the old corpse?"

"How about ejecting him out of an air lock?"

Kenobi, who was staring at Anakin with a worried pucker between his eyes, shook his head, "No, I've got a better idea."

/-

 _Imperial Base_

 _On the desolate Fourth Planet of Yinchorr system_

Imperial Navy Ensign Ranid kneaded his scalp with his hand and groaned aloud.

"I'm dying here," he muttered to no one in particular.

His droid and only companion answered, nonetheless, "Sir, are you having a medical emergency?"

Ranid rolled his eyes even as he sought to reassure the droid, "No, R369, that's just an expression. It just means I'm bored."

The droid twitched slightly, "I am sorry, sir. I believe that I have music from the Coruscanti opera 'To Tame a Gurrcat" if you would find that interesting."

Ranid opened his mouth to say no, then thought about saying yes. How bad could opera really be? And then there was an insistent beep that made him reluctantly turn to his operations equipment.

Not another glitch today. No one was out here. This was the back end of nowhere.

He turned in his chair to whack the reset switch and then stopped. There was clearly something out there, because a message informed him that he was being hailed, and he could see a ship as a blip on the sensor array. Not a big one, though.

Frowning, Ranid enabled communication.

"Imperial Base Yinchorr Beta, provide your authorization codes for landing."

There was a pause, and then a filtered voice answered, "We will not be landing. We are sending a package via escape pod. Recommend that you pick it up as quickly as possible."

Ranid blinked, "Require authorization code for package via escape pod."

There was silence. The other ship apparently had nothing more to say, because another smaller blip appeared on the sensor screen, and then the big blip vanished.

Ranid, now thoroughly awake, signaled his superior officer. An hour later, with some difficulty, the pod had been retrieved from the desolate landscape and hauled into the small base.

Inside was ...

Ranid suddenly felt very sick, and had to run for the refresher.

/-

 _Imperial Center_

 _2 hours later_

Ans Dangor looked up from the holoscreen, his face almost bloodless with shock.

"It's true," he said to Ysanne Isard and Sate Pestage, who also wore looks of open horror, "The Emperor is dead."

 _Author Note: I'm dating myself here, but back in the 1980's I played a text adventure Star Wars game where my character was running around the Death Star trying to rescue Leia, and if I played things just wrong, I could get Chewbacca mad at me and he would tear my character's arms off. So I thought, wouldn't it be nice if Chewbacca got to tear off Palpatine's arms? Many thanks to those of you reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. And many thanks to my wonderful husband who keeps the grammar errors to a minimum, plus adds his own wonderful touches to the prose._


	11. Chapter 11

_And it came to pass, in the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Palpatine, that the elder Sith Lord was killed at the hands of unknown assailants, along with his apprentice Darth Hamanen. The Emperor died without a clear successor, resulting in infighting and then open war between various members of the Imperial Council and Grand Admirals of the Imperial Navy. The galaxy, which had been experiencing a tenuous peace under Palpatine's brutal regime, quickly dissolved into galactic civil war._

 _/-_

 _Varykino_

 _Naboo_

The _Millennium Falcon_ carefully settled into an open area behind the palatial estate, and Han Solo shut down the power, wincing slightly at some unsettling crunching sounds in the landing gear. Not surprisingly, the space battle with random Imperial hostiles had dealt some damage to his precious ship.

The landing ramp lowered behind him, and he heard an unfamiliar voice, raised high with excitement.

"Leia! Are you injured? Our information from Shili was so fragmented."

"I'm fine, Mama. Absolutely fine. I'm afraid ... that Anakin isn't doing well, though."

"Is he going to be all right?"

"We don't know yet. Did you tell the Naberries about our, uh, relationship?"

"We've spoken to Sola, your aunt. She's the only one of the Naberrie family in residence at the moment. Not surprisingly, she's having a hard time believing it. I told her you'd do a genetic test.

"That's completely reasonable, Mother. Right now, though, we need medical facilities for Anakin and Ahsoka. Do you know where the nearest medical center is?"

"Given the need for secrecy, we've arranged for two med droids to attend them here. We've also laid in a variety of medical supplies, and have access to more as needed."

"Thank you, Aunt Breha."

"Luke, I'm so glad to see you are doing well. Are stretchers required for the patients?"

"Most definitely, I'm afraid. Both are currently unconscious"

Solo stepped into the main area and found himself gazing at a lovely, middle-aged woman with dark hair piled high.

"Captain Solo, this is my mother Breha Organa."

/-

Sola Naberrie stood inside the side door of Varykino, nearly trembling with excitement.

She still couldn't really believe it. Yes, Bail Organa and his wife Breha were reputed to be reliable individuals, and indeed she knew that Sola's sister Padme and Bail had been close friends and colleagues within the Imperial Senate before Padme's tragic and early death. But this claim, that Padme had given birth to living twins, seemed too good to be true.

It couldn't be true.

The door slid open and Breha Organa stepped through, followed by two hoverstretchers carrying two silent and still forms.

And behind them came a girl, slight, short, dark eyed, dark haired, alabaster skin, so much like Padme that Sola promptly burst into tears.

In that instant, she knew, without the need for genetic testing.

"Leia, I'm your aunt Sola."

/

Anakin Skywalker opened his eyes and found himself gazing into his wife's beloved face.

"Ani?"

"Padme," he managed to mutter back, even as he attempted to sit up.

He felt a gigantic wave of dizziness and closed his eyes, willing himself not to throw up.

"I feel nauseous ..."

He felt her arms around him, supporting him, even as she said softly, "I don't think it is physically possible to throw up here, Anakin, but you can certainly try."

He grimaced slightly and firmly addressed his insides. Padme was right. They were in some weird place together and his insides weren't real insides. So yeah.

After a long moment of argument, his stomach subsided and Anakin opened his eyes.

They were still in the dark glade, surrounded by trees whose dripping branches rustled softly in a slight wind.

Next to them now, however, was a pool of water, flat and opaque.

"What's that?" he asked softly, grateful to be partially supported by Padme.

"That's the way out," his wife said hesitantly, "Which is to say, that's the way to the Force Afterlife, so to speak."

Anakin's brain wasn't functioning at full capacity, so it took him some time to straighten this out in his mind.

"So something about that pool will cause me to die?" he finally asked, "In a permanent fashion?"

Padme nodded, her eyes and face solemn, "Yes, my dear. I got here by jumping into a pond and I ended up here. And I believe, I know, that if we both jump into this pond we'll end up back where I came from. It's much nicer than here. Not that this is evil or anything, but it's rather dull."

"So I'm still not dead."

"Coma, I think, my love, but no, not dead. But I'm dead."

"Yes, I know, darling."

Anakin frowned and thought about this at some length, to the point that Padme broke into this thoughts, "So you collapsed and then the pool appeared. Which means something big happened. Do you have any idea what it was?"

Her husband nodded matter-of-factly, "Sidious is dead."

"Sidious. As in Palpatine. The Emperor. Is dead."

"Yes."

He took a deep breath of moist air, relishing in the feeling of lungs, "Yes, Padme, he's dead dead dead dead dead. Destroyed. Probably by our twins. I was bonded to him and when he died, it ripped something inside of me. I have never felt such pain, such weakness. I don't know why it didn't just kill me ..."

He trailed off, looking up at the sky which was, to his surprise, now brightening.

Now he stood up carefully, and Padme with him.

"What's that?" she asked in a puzzled tone.

Above them was a glowing light, which was descending toward them, leaving a trail behind it. They watched, arm in arm, awed faces raised up, as a glowing cylinder sank to the ground and then stopped.

Anakin frowned and looked at his wife, "What's this?"

"I don't know," she said gravely, her brow furrowed, "I have no experience with mysterious columns of light descending from the sky. Odd."

Cautiously, she held out her hand and inserted it into the column. Her hand rose up quickly, and she pulled it out, obviously startled.

"Hmmm," she murmured, closing her eyes.

Then she opened them, and her voice became suddenly decisive, "It's a choice, Anakin. You can come with me, which means death, which is really life everlasting, or you can go back to the real world. One way is up, the other way is down. I think it rare to have a choice, but then you always were exceptional."

Anakin didn't even have to think about it, "I want to come with you, my love. Of course."

Her face took on a look. That look. That 'we have to be responsible look.'

"Is that the right decision, Ani? The moral one?"

He grasped at straws, "I'm a former Sith Lord, Padme. I've done terrible things ..."

"And now you have a chance to make some of it right, Anakin."

Her face, so stern, abruptly relaxed into a loving smile, "You know I want to be with you, Anakin. But the children are there, aren't they?"

She suddenly looked alarmed, "You don't think that Palpatine ... that he hurt them, do you?"

Anakin shook his head violently, "No, they are well, my darling. Physically, spiritually, emotionally. And Luke and Leia have your determination and your spirit. I see so much in both of them that reminds me of you. They don't really need me. Indeed, I'm a monster. They are better off without me, Padme.

Padme looked at him challengingly, "Do you really think so?"

/-

 _Varykino_

"Captain Solo, Chewbacca, " Bail Organa said gratefully, his hands outstretched toward the smuggler and his co-pilot, "I can't tell you how grateful I am for your protection of my daughter, not to mention your very courageous actions in destroying Palpatine."

A slight smile lightened the man's expression, "They will truly sing songs about you, most noble Chewbacca."

"I hope not any time soon," Solo said worriedly, "Since the Empire is still very much an active enterprise. If they find out he killed Palpatine he'll be at the top of every wanted poster across the galaxy."

Bail shook his head, "As of now, anyway, the underground information is that he was killed by unknown assailants. I presume your ship has false codes?"

"Of course," Solo said, looking vaguely insulted, "What do you take us for? No one will be able to identify the _Falcon_ from our codes, and she's similar to a thousand other YT-1300s, though of course she far surpasses them all where it counts."

Bail nodded, relieved, "Very good, then. Now I know that Kenobi and Anakin promised a good price for your assistance and we will double it, but we will need to be cautious about the transfer of money ..."

"No, no, no," Solo interrupted, "I'm not going anywhere until I know more about what is going on. Who are you? Who is Leia? Who is Luke? Why was your daughter waving a lightsaber around? Chewie just killed the Emperor! I think we deserve to know all the details of your little crew before I go blasting off into the unknown."

Bail looked startled, then worried, and opened his mouth just as Leia walked into the room.

"My name is Leia Organa," she said calmly, "And this is my father Bail. My mother Breha met us on the ship. My parents are the former sovereigns of Alderaan. We faked our deaths because while I am their daughter, and the former heir to the throne of Alderaan, I am adopted. My true biological father is Anakin Skywalker, whom you knew as Nika Kilman. His name in his former life was ... "

Bail found his voice, "Leia, no!"

She turned and gazed at him gravely, "Captain Solo deserves to know, Papa. It isn't right that he was left unaware of the long game, and our identities. Anakin never should have put him in such a position."

"You call your biological father 'Anakin'?" Solo asked, struggling to parse all these incredible facts into some kind of order.

"It's better than Darth Vader," Leia said, her chin coming up.

There was a startled pause.

"Which was his former name," she continued steadily.

After a long moment, Solo physically lifted his right hand to prop up his jaw, which was sagging low.

"Now just hold on a second ... your father ..." he began.

"Biological father," she snapped, "Bail Organa is my real father."

"Your biological father is Darth Vader?"

"Yes. Well, was. He is Anakin Skywalker now. And my twin brother is Luke Skywalker."

"The ... uh ... the blond haired kid, Luke, is your brother?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

A lifted eyebrow. Leia managed to make it a clear question.

"I, um, I thought maybe you and he were, um, you know, an ... an item."

"Luke and me!?"

She looked horrified.

"An understandable mistake, Captain Solo," Bail broke in, trying to wrench the conversation back into some semblance of normality, "Given that they are close in age and obviously fond of one another. But no, they are twins."

The older man paused, then added gravely, "I don't agree with my daughter's decision to tell you all this, but she knows you better than I do. I am sure it is obvious that this information would be worth a great deal to whoever is currently leading the Empire."

Solo actually bared his teeth, "The leaders of the Empire can rot in Chaos for all I care. I would never betray you after what the Empire did to Kashyyyk."

He now looked troubled, "Darth Vader was instrumental in the pillaging of Kashyyyk and the enslavement of the Wookiees."

Leia nodded, her face grieved, "Captain Solo, our biological father's sins are truly legion. We know that. But he has turned back and he wanted to ... at least partially atone for what he has done by destroying Palpatine."

"And he may be destroyed in the process," the old man named Ben stated, walking into the room. "He's struggling greatly, Leia. I'm afraid his end may be at hand."

/-

"The twins are so young, Anakin!"

"Padme, they are older than you were when you were Queen of Naboo, older than I was when I was a padawan fighting at Obi-Wan's side."

"And we were too young, Ani," she responded, her face suddenly downcast, "Or at least I was. Yes, I was intelligent and responsible, a gifted politician, but I was not experienced enough to lead Naboo as she deserved."

"Padme!" he was rather horrified, "Your people loved you! They adored you. You were rightly known as one of the very best of Naboo's queens! You protected them and guided them ..."

"I didn't protect them from Palpatine," she broke in, her eyes steely. "It took me far too long to see the truth."

Anakin looked down at the grass at his feet, "It took far longer for me, my love."

"I know, but don't you see, Anakin. You have decades more experience now. You can guide them ..."

"Padme, I don't want to leave you again. I won't."

"Well, we'll just have to discuss that at more length, Ani."

Anakin repressed a slight shudder. Padme was a scary debater.

/

 _And it came to pass, after the death of Emperor Palpatine, that Ysanne Isard of the Imperial Security Bureau joined forces with Ars Dangor of the Imperial Council. Together, they plotted against Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, whose reputation was in decline due to the widespread awareness of his unfortunate bubble bath on the day of Palpatine's death. Pestage was executed in the public square in front of the Imperial Palace, as were a host of dignitaries and functionaries who had thrown their support behind the former Grand Vizier._

 _Imperial Center was in disarray, provoking uncertainty among the Imperial Fleets. One Grand Admiral, the Chiss known as Thrawn, began to consolidate his power along the Outer Rim trade routes ..._

/-

Anakin Skywalker opened his eyes.

He was lying in a reclined bed in a soothing room, one filled with natural light.

A dazed glance showed he had intravenous lines into both arms.

He turned his head with some difficulty, and observed Ahsoka Tano seated on a chair next to his bed, her montrals at peace, as she read something from a holopad.

"Snips!" he gasped out, "Are you all right?"

Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Master?"

"Yes," he rasped, and looked around for water. Oh, how dry his throat was.

She obviously sensed his need, for she quickly rose and hurried over to a food/drink unit and returned in a moment with a cup of water.

"Drink slowly, Skyguy."

It was hard to drink slowly, but he did. Oh, how good that water tasted.

"Snips, I'm so glad you're all right! I was worried that wound on your arm was serious. Looks like it was minor."

Her patterned face gazed at him solemnly, even as she slowly shook her head, "It was very serious, Skyguy. I nearly died. But I'm healed now."

He frowned. He was missing something.

"It looks fine."

"It is fine ..."

She hesitated, then said with difficulty, "You've been unconscious for three months, Master. You've missed quite a lot."

 _Author Note: The idea of the pool which leads to the Force Afterlife is loosely based on C. S. Lewis's "The Magician's Nephew" which is an awesome book._


	12. Chapter 12

_Varykino_

 _Naboo_

"I've been unconscious for three _months_?" Anakin demanded incredulously, and then began coughing. Apparently three months of silence had left his throat disinclined to cooperate with talking.

He sat up more and was relieved when Ahsoka pounded him firmly on the back. He coughed up a bit of phlegm with a mixture of relief and disgust, then leaned back.

He opened his mouth again but Snips shook her head firmly, "You shouldn't talk until the med droid checks you over, Skyguy."

He looked at her. He had noted in Shili how tall she was, but up close he could see the patterns on her face developed even more obviously with age, noted the well developed muscles in her arms.

Anakin opened his mouth again, then closed it when she directed a ferocious look at him.

" _I'm so sorry, Snips, for everything,"_ he sent telepathically.

" _I will yell at you when you are physically stable,"_ she sniped back in a telepathic voice that was surprisingly snarky, " _But for now, just take it easily."_

Anakin relaxed. It seemed that years of fighting and hiding and being captured and nearly executed hadn't dampened his apprentice's spirit.

Former apprentice?

Something.

He leaned back even as the door slid open and a med droid stepped in, followed by his former master and his twins.

/-

 _Varykino_

 _1 day later_

"You're quite sure you're up to this, Father?" Luke asked anxiously.

"I'm supposed to say that to you, Son," Anakin responded with a mixture of fondness and irritability. "I've spent decades dealing with Imperial madness. Causing Imperial madness, actually ..."

"You were unconscious for 3 months, Anakin," Obi-Wan said gently. "I will admit we are all surprised that you survived."

"You can thank, or blame, Padme for that," he responded, his eyes misting slightly at the thought of his wife whom he had left behind in the strange Other World.

"Huh?" Luke asked.

"Your mother ..." the older man smiled with melancholy affection. "Was _, is_ , one of the greatest debaters of all time. I didn't want to come back, argued with her that the galaxy was better off without me, that I should be with her, but she insisted that I should come back and right my wrongs. Perhaps she was incorrect, but she was certainly convincing. Obviously. She convinced me."

He heaved a sigh, even as his children exchanged glances.

"I'm glad you came back," Luke said genuinely.

And Breha Organa was firm, "It is good you are here, Anakin. The political situation is in flux. The Imperial warlords and admirals and members of the Council are struggling for power, with concomitant loss of civilian life."

Anakin frowned, pulling together his scattered thoughts with difficulty, "What about here on Naboo?"

Bail Organa spoke from the doorway, "An Admiral Thrawn has taken Naboo, along with a number of planets in the Outer Rim and the spacelanes between. He has not been particularly brutal thus far, for which we are thankful."

Anakin nodded, "He is the least barbaric of the grand admirals, though perhaps that is not saying much. I was of course far worse ..."

He closed his eyes and thought, then opened them, "What of Tarkin?"

Kenobi looked grave, "He has retreated to Scarif."

Anakin sat up and frowned, "Why?"

"Because the Death Star has been moved there, and is in its final phases. Tarkin has a fleet of Star Destroyers protecting the station for now, but we believe that he may be planning to use the DS-1 to seize control of the Empire once it is fully operational. "

"Or," Leia chimed in, "he may merely plan to be the power behind the throne for another member of the Imperial elite. At any rate, if the Death Star is completed ..."

Anakin took a deep breath, then another, as he struggled to control his own emotions and those of the anxious members of his family and friends around him. "Yes, that would be catastrophic."

"Do you think ..." Breha began hesitantly, then plunged on. "Do you think Tarkin would really use the Death Star? Or would it merely be used as a threat?"

The former Darth Vader sighed deeply, "He will use it. He has long advocated for rule through fear, and with the Empire in chaos, he will have a strong motivation to coerce the myriad planets into submission by destroying one of them. Or more than one."

There was a long pause and Anakin's eyes drifted to Ahsoka's face. She had her emotions locked down tightly, but he could sense wisps of unease and anger.

"I'm sorry, Snips," he said gently.

"It's all right, Skyguy," she responded with a defiant toss of her montrals, "I can handle it."

Kenobi looked startled, "My dear Ahsoka, I had forgotten that Tarkin presided over your trial."

"Trial?" Luke demanded in bewilderment.

The Togruta shook her head quickly, "It's a long story, and there is no reason to describe it in detail right now. Suffice it to say that I was framed for murder in my teens, in the days of the Old Republic, and the Jedi threw me to the rancors, so to speak."

Her face suddenly softened, "Your mother was my defender during the trial. I will always be grateful to her. And Skyguy here proved my innocence at the very last moment."

The twins exchanged uneasy glances.

"We were wrong, Ahsoka," Kenobi said suddenly, "I deeply regret the role of the Jedi in your ordeal."

Tano narrowed her eyes, "I would be glad to discuss the failings of the Jedi Order at a later date, General Kenobi, but for now I believe we should focus on the Death Star and Tarkin. What should we do?"

She glanced at her former master and saw, with a mixture of amazement and amusement, that familiar fire of enthusiasm fill his blue eyes.

(Eyes which had been Sithly yellow not long before, presumably.)

"I have an idea," said Anakin.

/-

 _Conference Room #1_

 _The Death Star_

 _In orbit around Scarif_

 _1month later_

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin sat down at the 'head' of the conference table.

The table itself was an oval but his chair had a taller back. So it was clear he was in charge.

Around him, arranged at regular intervals, were his chosen cadre of high officers on the Death Star, including the Generals Motti and Tagge. Both were extremely competent men, though they lacked the overarching brilliance to bring about the galaxy Tarkin had in mind.

Not that it mattered. He would provide the oversight, and the brilliance.

"The Death Star's weapons systems are now online, Governor Tarkin," Motti said with obvious satisfaction.

"And Krennic is still on Scarif?" Tagge demanded.

"Indeed," said another officer.

"Then the time has come," Tarkin said with a thin smile, "Let us proceed to the control room for the first test of this station. There is no need to destroy the planet itself, so we can combine the destruction of the Imperial Citadel Tower and its occupants and data with a test of the fine tuning of the Death Star's superlaser."

He directed a piercing glance at General Maximilian Veers. "Your disagreement with this course of action has been noted, General Veers. I suggest that you refrain from raising this issue again."

Veers' mouth thinned, but he merely nodded.

"Shall we go, gentlemen?" Tarkin asked with a courtly wave toward the door, even as he rose to his feet, "Scarif awaits."

The door slid open and Tarkin took one step toward it before he suddenly halted in shocked , and horrified, disbelief.

The being standing there was like something out of a dream, or rather a nightmare. Two meters of unremitting black. Armor. Helmet. Mechanized breathing.

Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith.

/-

 _The Star Destroyer Chimaera_

 _In orbit around Tatooine_

 _Outer Rim_

 _3 weeks later_

Grand Admiral Thrawn leaned over the holoscreen, his red eyes blazing with interest. Behind him and to his right stood his second-in-command, the human Captain Gilad Pellaeon.

"As you can see, sir," Pellaeon said after a minute, "The data shows an unusual increase in supply ships coming into Eudu and Toydaria from other planets in that region of space."

"Indeed," Thrawn commented. The brow furrowed slightly, and the admiral's blue skin seemed almost to darken as the Chiss admiral contemplated, "Captain, do we have information about incoming and outgoing supplies for Kessel and Kubindi?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid not."

"Obtain that information, as rapidly as possible."

"As you wish," Pallaeon responded and then, with a troubled frown, "You believe the Death Star may be in that region of space?"

"It is at least possible, Captain," Thrawn murmured softly. "And if so, we must establish its presence or absence from those regions as quickly as possible."

"It seems an odd place for Tarkin to lurk, sir," the captain argued. "I would expect him either to go directly to Imperial Center and attempt to take control, or retreat to his homeworld of Eriadu. There isn't much near Kessel."

Thrawn shook his head, "You assume Tarkin still holds power, Captain. And we do not know that."

"So you think General Motti, or Tagge, may be in control, sir?"

Thrawn ran a blue finger across his chin, "Perhaps, Captain. Much is not yet known. But I am inclined to believe Tarkin has fallen in some kind of coup and no longer commands on the Death Star. And while the man is a brute and a menace, it is easier in many ways to combat an enemy one knows. An unknown enemy is ... unknown."

"Yes, sir," Captain Pallaeon responded respectfully.

"I will retire to my quarters to consider the data streams, Captain. I trust you can handle the Holonet meeting with the latest arrogant Hutt Lord?"

A grim smile crossed his captain's face, "Yes, Admiral, most certainly."

Grand Admiral Thrawn turned on his heel and strode off the bridge toward his quarters, with his shadowy bodyguard, the Noghri Rukh, following behind him on soft feet.

Thrawn sighed internally. In many ways, the death of Palpatine suited his plans as he had realized long ago that the Emperor was more interested in his own personal power than in the safety of Thrawn's people, the Chiss. But the galaxy was in turmoil and while Thrawn relished the challenge of successfully seizing control from the various Imperial warlords and councilors vying for power, he was concerned about the Death Star. It had been, in his quiet opinion, a regrettable use of a truly vast array of resources. But recent data suggested the DS-1 had finished its final operational checks before disappearing so abruptly from Scarif 3 weeks prior.

Thrawn had understood Tarkin, understood the man's ferocious adherence to ruling by fear. Understood, too, that at some level, Tarkin desired to remain somewhat in the background, to be not the supreme power in the galaxy, but the vital cog to that power.

Tarkin had been quite predictable, and Thrawn had believed that even with the Death Star nearing its final phase of completion, he would be able to intervene before Tarkin could do serious damage. But then something had happened several weeks ago. The information streaming from Thrawn's spies on Scarif and the Death Star had cut off abruptly, and the Death Star had disappeared. And while no planet had yet been destroyed, apparently, it was (Thrawn freely admitted) unnerving to have the Death Star out in space somewhere, under the control of an Unknown ...

He regrettably concluded that he had made a mistake. He should have intervened earlier.

But making mistakes was a learning experience. He would not lash out in rage, would not blame others. He would gather information, consider, and move forward.

Thrawn gestured sharply to his Noghri bodyguard, "Wait here."

Rukh bowed obediently and stopped beside one of the two stormtroopers guarding the Grand Admiral's quarters.

The door slid open, and Thrawn stepped through the door. He relaxed, slightly. This was his private domain and while he felt a responsibility to spend hours a day on the bridge, to be physically present for his officers and men, he always thought best here in his quarters.

A soft sound to his right broke into his reverie and he turned suddenly even as his hand slid to the blaster at his side. (Yes, he carried a blaster. One could not be too careful in these turbulent times.)

Briefly he considered summoning his men outside, but perhaps something had merely slipped off a shelf ...

He walked softly and carefully toward one side of his quarters, to the entrance into his own private art gallery.

An unusual emotion filled him, that of intense surprise. For standing near the wall, turned away from him, was a short being, dressed in a white robe, dark hair piled high. She (it looked like a she) was standing in a reverent attitude before his Alderaanian moss painting, _The Eclipse_.

After the briefest of hesitations, Thrawn thumbed his blaster to stun and shot at the figure. And then was surprised again when the stun ray reversed as if it had encountered a shield. An instant later, the blaster was yanked painfully out of his hand and into the grip of a dark cloaked figure, also fairly short, who was standing at one side of the room, shrouded in shadows.

The human turned around to reveal a young woman of about 20 years, beautiful by human standards, with dark brown eyes and lustrous hair. Her face was completely calm, her gaze intelligent and curious.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn," she said in a soft contralto. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Leia Organa."

 _Author Note: I never thought I'd do this, but I'm going to try to write Thrawn. Grand Admiral Thrawn was first introduced in Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy; he is a brilliant Chiss grand admiral who is renowned for his genius tactics and his appreciation for art. The Noghri are a lethal race of short aliens who operate as bodyguards and assassins for the Empire. We'll see how it goes. Thanks to those of you reading and reviewing, and thanks again to my wonderful husband for editing!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Author Note: Sorry for the long delay in updating. I was working on another story – "The Galactic Shockball Championship" – check it out!_

 _The Star Destroyer Chimaera_

 _In orbit around Tatooine_

 _Outer Rim_

Thrawn stilled, his brow wrinkled slightly, "Leia Organa? Apparently the reports of your death, and that of your parents, were greatly exaggerated."

Organa smiled slightly, "Indeed, Admiral."

She turned again, gazing with appreciation at the moss painting _The Eclipse_ , "Palpatine grew suspicious of my parents' political views, and we felt it best to fake our deaths almost three years ago now."

Thrawn's expression hardened, "How did you, and your Force sensitive companion, obtain access to my private quarters, Princess Leia Organa?"

She didn't answer his question, but instead asked one of her own, "How did you obtain _The Eclipse_ , Thrawn? I know it was privately owned on Alderaan, and greatly prized. Did you steal it?"

For a long moment he regarded her. He could probably call in his guards, but he was intrigued by this situation. He needed data.

"No, your Highness," he said after a moment, "I bought it from Baroness Orczy of Alderaan after her son gambled away most of the family fortune. My payment to them for the painting enabled them to throw the appropriate wedding for their daughter Ilitcha."

Organa smiled faintly now, "I knew Ilitcha. I'm sure that she would have made quite a fuss if her wedding wasn't sufficiently elaborate."

She locked eyes with him now even as she stepped boldly closer to him.

"Luke and I obtained entrance to your quarters through your bodyguard, the Noghri Rukh."

Thrawn drew in a sharp breath that was nearly a hiss. The Noghri had sworn loyalty to him – sworn loyalty to the Empire, at any rate - and he _was_ the last best hope for Empire ...

"You have a well deserved reputation for understanding how cultural beliefs affect the actions and thought patterns of sentients, Admiral. Rukh's decisions have a reasonable explanation."

She turned now and gestured to her companion, who approached even as he pushed back the hood of his dark robe. The face was that of a young man, a very young man, perhaps 18 or 19 standard years, with dark blond hair and blue eyes.

"This is Luke, son of Darth Vader."

Thrawn froze, turned, stared. This was _impossible_.

"That is not possible," he stated firmly.

Leia glanced at Luke, and he touched something in his pocket. A moment later, the door to Thrawn's quarters opened, and the short but lethal bodyguard Rukh stole into the art chamber on soft feet.

"Warrior Rukh," Leia said with a bow of respect. "The Admiral is, not surprisingly, in difficulty over _Luke's_ family line. Would you please confirm his identity?"

Thrawn frowned just slightly at the slight accent on the boy's name, even as he watched his bodyguard curiously.

The Noghri approached and Luke held out his right hand. The alien lowered its hairless snout reverently and sniffed, before raising his head to stare up at Thrawn.

"He is indeed the Mal'ary'esh – the son of the Savior of the Noghri."

The warrior stepped forward with a questioning tilt of his head toward the Princess. She nodded courteously and said, "Thank you, Rukh. That's all we need. Please wait outside until we have further need of your services."

Thrawn kept his face blank, but his mind whirred rapidly. The Noghri were a primitive culture, but primitive cultures often had deeply inculcated loyalties and beliefs which formed the very bedrock of their civilizations. Rukh, as a warrior, _would not_ _lie_ about this issue. Therefore ...

He stared with intense interest at the young man standing beside Leia Organa, "Luke...Vader? It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The boy's eyes narrowed just slightly at this form of address, which made Thrawn think he generally went by a different name.

"Please call me Luke, Admiral. I know that's rather casual, but it is my preference."

"As you wish," Thrawn said with a slight bow. "Now since you broke into my quarters, I assume you wish to speak with me? What can I do for you?"

Leia Organa smiled, her white teeth flashing, "First, may we sit down?"

"Certainly," Thrawn said with a slight bow. He guided his two uninvited guests through the main room and into a side meeting room. It was sparsely furnished with four sleek, black, remarkably uncomfortable chairs around a small table.

Thrawn sat down on one chair and then stiffened as the table suddenly lifted up into the air and over to one corner of the room.

He frowned, his gaze fixed on the blond youth who was obviously guiding it using the Force.

"My apologies, Admiral. I don't feel confident of the princess's safety if your hands are concealed by a table."

Thrawn nodded, even as another few pieces of data docketed themselves in his brain. So the boy was a trained Force sensitive.

Well, that could be quite inconvenient.

Organa sat down on the chair across from the Admiral, and Luke stood to Organa's right.

"We infiltrated, and took control of, the Death Star three weeks, Admiral Thrawn," Organa stated steadily.

Thrawn felt his breath hitch, but he forced himself to keep his face calm.

"I assume it is in orbit around or near Honoghr, the Noghri homeworld?" Thrawn inquired.

Organa smiled, "Very good, Admiral. An excellent conclusion, I assume based on recent supply movement in that sector, plus Rukh's assistance. Though as you know, his culture requires loyalty to Darth Vader and his son."

"Indeed," Thrawn leaned back slightly with a feeling of satisfaction at meeting a worthy opponent. Princess Leia Organa was clearly a force to be reckoned with, in spite of her youth. He knew relatively little about her, and what little he knew had been relegated to the back of his mind when she supposedly 'died'. But as soon as he had contained the princess and her bodyguard/friend/romantic interest/ whatever he was, the Admiral would make it a priority to learn as much about her as possible.

"With the Death Star under your control," he continued silkily, "you and your compatriots have become major players in the current galactic struggle. And since you came to me, I assume you have something you want of me. An alliance, perhaps?"

Leia's eyes narrowed slightly, "Perhaps, Admiral."

She stood up now and moved gracefully over to the transparisteel window, through which shone the desert planet of Tatooine.

"You served for Palpatine for many years, Admiral," she continued with her back to him. It annoyed him, because he could no longer see her face, "What was your view of Emperor Palpatine?"

"He was a brilliant tactician and extremely powerful, Princess Leia. "

She did turn now. The light reflecting off Tatooine meant her face was slightly in shadow, but he saw a new coldness in her eyes.

"Do you believe he was a good leader to the galaxy, Admiral?"

"One would assume I did, given that I followed and served him for many years."

She took two steps closer and gazed directly into his eyes. For the first time, he felt a strange unease.

"That is not an answer, Admiral Thrawn."

There was a long pause, and then the Admiral spoke softly, "He was a very selfish man, Sheev Palpatine. His strength in the Force gave him tremendous power, as did his strategic brilliance. I found his increasing obsession for total power and domination rather distasteful, but I concluded he was the best leader for my purposes."

Here Thrawn glanced at Luke, who had been thus far silent.

"He was a far more capable leader than your father ever was, young Luke."

This insult was a carefully calculated risk. If this young man truly was Vader's son, and it seemed he was, Thrawn might find himself suddenly without oxygen. But he needed to know more about the personality and proclivities of this new, most vital player.

The princess and Luke exchanged startled glances.

"Actually, the military apparently followed him quite devotedly," the boy argued without heat, "in spite of his tiresome habit of strangling individuals for minor infractions. But I'm afraid he didn't do well with civilians during his tenure as Palpatine's second in command. Diplomacy isn't his strong suit."

Thrawn froze, "Isn't? Present tense? So your father still lives?"

Luke lifted both eyebrows slightly, "Oh yes. I'm responsible for his sudden departure from the Imperial scene, when he discovered me on a back end world more than three years ago. But yes, he's very much alive, and very much in control on the Death Star."

The Grand Admiral stared at the boy with narrow eyes. Based on the youth's accent, he was Outer Rim. Whatever his past was, it was not in palace halls or elite boarding schools. His expressions were unguarded; indeed, he had what could be termed an open, honest face.

Unlike the boy's father, whose face was hidden forever behind the black helmet.

"Very well, what does your father want, Luke?"

"Leia? You're the diplomat."

This was stated with a warm smile, which Thrawn tucked away for further analysis. The two young people were clearly close.

"Admiral Thrawn," Leia Organa said gravely, "the galaxy is in turmoil. The warlords and former sycophants of Palpatine are battling for control. Many innocents are dying through open war and starvation and lack of medical supplies. Lord Vader believes that you are the most honorable of those fighting for control of the Empire, as well as the most brilliant tactically. We are interested in an alliance. Perhaps. It depends on your ultimate goals. My associates and I have studied the data on you, Admiral, and frankly we are puzzled as to your role in this conflict. You are a Chiss, and one apparently with great loyalty to your own people, and yet you left your home world and served a xenophobic despot for many years. It seems a strange dichotomy."

Thrawn's jaw clenched slightly, surprised to feel a twinge of anger at this statement.

Organa gazed back, her eyes watchful.

Thrawn forced himself to relax his body, forced himself to use a calm tone, "Princess, you know almost nothing about my life, my people, and my decisions."

"True."

"Then you have no data for judging. It is always a mistake to analyze without sufficient data."

The woman's lips curved slightly, "Are you willing to provide that data, Admiral? To me? Or to Lord Vader, my parents, and our associates? We would welcome such a discussion."

Thrawn leaned back, "I would indeed welcome such a discussion, Princess Leia. But since clearly I don't trust you, or Lord Vader, it would need to be by holotransmission."

"Very well," she said, rising to her feet.

"And you and your ... and Luke will need to stay here, as my guests."

Leia Organa actually smiled, "No, Admiral, I'm afraid that's not an option. I'm sure you understand that Lord Vader will not tolerate negotiations while his son is essentially a hostage. Don't go there, Admiral. I assure you it isn't worth it."

The Chiss stood as well now. He was substantially taller than both young people, so he loomed over them.

"And I'm afraid that I must insist."

The Admiral pressed a button on his wrist, then braced himself. He had, again, calculated the odds and decided on this thoroughly risky form of action. The boy was a Force user and underneath that robe he likely had weapons, perhaps even a lightsaber. But during sensitive negotiations, it was always best to have as many tools as possible at one's disposal, and holding the boy would give Thrawn the upper hand. And given the risky decision on the part of Organa and Luke to infiltrate the _Chimaera_ , Vader really must want Thrawn alive, so he hoped he wouldn't die here.

Moments later, the outer door to Thrawn's quarters burst open, and a squad of troopers, a dozen strong, marched into the main chamber. Thrawn stepped carefully out into the chamber from the meeting room, thus missing the thoughtful glance between Luke and Leia.

"Sir, you called?" the lead trooper's filtered voice inquired.

"Indeed," Thrawn said, relaxing in spite of himself. Neither of his guests had attacked him, thankfully, "set for stun."

The troopers obeyed, even as Thrawn gestured at the young woman and man who had stepped just outside the meeting room door.

"Stun them b ..." Thrawn ordered, and then suddenly found himself with his hand at his throat, struggling for oxygen.

The troopers froze briefly, then began firing at Luke and Leia. The twins joined together to deflect the bolts using the Force, even as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin rushed into the room, lightsabers blazing. The room was a sudden cacophony of yells and stun bolts and muffled cries. Within sixty seconds, the troopers were either dead or unconscious, and Rukh was leaning over a choking Thrawn, his blade at the Chiss's neck.

"Don't kill him, Rukh!" Anakin ordered, even as he retrieved a blaster with the Force and stunned the Admiral. Once the man was unconscious, Luke released the choke hold which was asphyxiating the life out of the alien.

"He betrayed us all, he betrayed the Noghri," Rukh said coldly, even as he obediently withdrew his knife from his adversary's jugular.

Anakin's eyes grew dark, "I betrayed you first, Rukh, at the Emperor's behest. The Empire poisoned your homeworld's atmosphere and then we sent droids to supposedly heal your world, even as they actually continued to poison your soil, to convince you to pledge your allegiance to us. I was never your Savior, Rukh, but your slaver. And for that, as I have told you before, I deserve death."

Rukh turned and approached Anakin, his vicious knife held in one hand. Luke and Leia stiffened; even though the Noghri warrior was short compared to their father, he was a menacing and dangerous figure.

"You are still the Mal'ary, Lord Vader," Rukh said softly, "for you have pledged your assistance and your honor to the Noghri people."

Anakin reached out a hand to touch the small alien's shoulder, "I pledge to you we will bring healing to your land, Rukh."

Behind them, Han Solo, clad in stormtrooper armor with his helmet off, stepped into the room, "You owe me 25 credits, Kid. I told you Thrawn would try to take both of you."

Anakin looked both startled and disapproving, "You gambled over this operation?"

Luke sighed, "I really hoped he'd be more honorable."

Leia shook her head, "The Chiss mentality is not well understood, Luke, which is a disadvantage to us. From his perspective, he may have believed his actions _were_ honorable. Anyway, we'll haul him back to the Death Star and go from there."

There was a series of tootling beeps as R2D2, who had been comfortably ensconced in Thrawn's private office in the rear area of his quarters, rolled into the room.

"You downloaded his data files?" Anakin inquired absently, even as he knelt down next to the unconscious admiral.

There was a series of affirmative beeps.

"Then let's get out of here," Anakin said.


	14. Chapter 14

_The Bridge_

 _The Chimaera_

 _In orbit around Tatooine_

Captain Pallaeon glanced around the bridge uneasily. All stations were operating normally and there had been no further alarms since Admiral Thrawn had urgently sent for a squad a few minutes ago.

Pallaeon had a deep and abiding respect for Admiral Thrawn. The Chiss had shown himself wise beyond the captain's understanding, with an ability to see not just around corners, but apparently through temporal black holes as well. The captain found it hard to believe that his superior could be in any kind of serious trouble on board his own flagship. Furthermore, while Pallaeon didn't particularly like the Noghri bodyguard Rukh, he trusted him to protect Thrawn with his life. Loyalty was a benchmark belief of the primitive Noghri.

Nevertheless, Pallaeon felt anxious enough that he decided to risk a reprimand from his superior for 'checking up on him.' Summoning a squad to his personal quarters was profoundly unusual. He was almost certainly concerned about nothing, but at least Thrawn wouldn't choke him. Just one reason the Chiss was preferable to the vanished, and presumably deceased, Darth Vader.

The captain retreated into a small room and picked up his comlink. After staring at it for a long moment, he punched in the necessary code and waited, his throat slightly dry. Thrawn wouldn't strangle him, but his superior's icily courteous reprimands weren't much fun.

There was a long pause, long enough for Pallaeon's worry to tick up another notch, and then a voice answered. It was not Thrawn's voice, of that the captain was certain.

"Yes?" a male voice inquired.

"This is Captain Pallaeon," the captain said cautiously, "is there a significant problem there?"

Another pause.

"Everything is under control. Situation normal."

Pallaeon stiffened, his hand drifting to his waist where a 'hot button' alarm would send alarms ringing throughout the ship. This didn't feel right.

"May I inquire what the issue was?"

"We had a ... a slight weapons malfunction. But everything is perfectly all right now..."

The voice stopped speaking, and more quietly, in the near distance, Pallaeon heard Admiral Thrawn speak.

"Inform the captain that I am personally analyzing a hitherto unknown power fluctuation observed in certain blasters ..."

The voice trailed away, as if Thrawn had moved into another part of his quarters.

"Understood. Very well, Pallaeon out," Pallaeon said, heaving a deep sigh of relief. Thrawn was notorious for keeping careful tabs on everything. A power fluctuation in blasters was the sort of thing that the engineers should deal with, but Thrawn was ... well, Thrawn.

Pallaeon turned off his comlink and walked back onto the bridge, his shoulders relaxed. Everything was as it should be.

/-

In Thrawn's quarters, Anakin and company stood very still, waiting.

After a long moment, during which no alarms sounded and the Force sensitives discerned no uptick in distress on the ship, they finally relaxed.

"I'm surprised, and delighted, that worked," Kenobi said with an air of relief, even as he leaned down to help Anakin carefully prepare Thrawn's unconscious body for transport off the _Chimarea_.

Solo was staring wide-eyed at Luke

"That was incredible, Kid!" he exclaimed.

Luke blushed slightly, and Leia smiled, "Luke is amazing at imitating voices. You should hear him imitating Jabba the Hutt!"

"Cha boska!" Luke roared in a voice approximately an octave below his normal voice.

Anakin cringed slightly, "It does not please me that you were close enough to that Hutt scum to even hear his voice."

Luke sighed, "It was only for a week."

"A week of what?" Han demanded, even as he grabbed one of the still living guards preparatory to hauling the man into a nearby room where he could be secured.

"Slavery," Luke said softly, his eyes darkening, "I managed to escape within a week, but it wasn't a good week."

Solo shot an incredulous look at the boy, then dragged his prone captive into the nearby office.

When he got back, he looked at Anakin with new respect, "The word was that Darth Vader had taken out Jabba. I guess I know why now."

Anakin Skywalker straightened to his full height and nodded, "I was myself a slave until I was nine years old, then a slave to Palpatine for another 15 years. It was my task, and my pleasure, to free the galaxy of that giant slug."

/-

 _Docking Bay #4_

 _The Chimaera_

 _In orbit around Endor_

Ensign Mort wobbled, steadied himself, then quickly passed a hand over his face, making sure that any drool was wiped off. He was so stinking bored! And last night he had stayed up _way_ too late playing sabacc. In addition to losing credits he could ill afford, he was nearly dead on his feet now. At least his shift would end in a little more than an hour.

Ensign Mort perked up as a group of stormtroopers plus one officer stepped into the docking bay. Ah, something to do! It had been ridiculously quiet this shift, which didn't help anything.

The officer, a tall, middle aged man with dark hair and a look of irritable boredom, handed Mort a datapad.

Mort glanced at it, checking the destination. Naboo. Various supplies were being delivered to the local garrison there, including three large boxes of high tech blasters.

The boxes in question were hovering in mid air on repulsors. Mort grabbed his scanner from his belt and wandered over to check that the boxes were what they were supposed to be. Occasionally the idiots in supply messed up, and after a full load of nerf meat was accidentally sent in non-refrigerated containers to the Imperial Palace in place of a shipment of Corellian wine, all outgoing supplies had to be checked before liftoff.

(The rumor mill claimed that the Palace storeroom had stunk for more than a week, and the now deceased Emperor Palpatine had caused a mini explosion in his rage, resulting in the death of a number of hapless troops.)

The tall officer touched him on the arm, "You don't need to scan the boxes."

Mort lifted his face up and frowned, "I don't?"

"No, you don't," the officer said, even as the man gazed directly into his eyes, "They are exactly what is on the manifest."

The ensign blinked, "Ok, that's good."

He frowned, "But sir, I'm supposed to check everything, just in case it's nerf meat. I don't want to be responsible for stinking anything up."

The officer looked startled, "There would hardly be nerf meat, Ensign. Tatooine is a desert planet. Banthas yes, nerfs no."

Mort shook his slightly, "Still, there might be bantha meat. Which would be even fouler, probably. So yes, I need to scan the boxes, sir."

"You don't need to scan the boxes."

Now Mort was getting both irritated and suspicious, "Who are you? What's your operating number?"

The stormtrooper behind the ensign lifted his blaster and stunned the hapless ensign, who fell to the hanger door without a groan.

"Boring conversation anyway," Solo said, his voice filtered by the helmet.

" _Well, that went well_ ," the Senator commented in a mocking tone to Anakin.

Anakin shook his head in disbelief, "Thank you, Solo. I appear to be losing my edge. Let us board."

Kenobi nodded, even as he gestured to the prone ensign, "Let's bring the ensign along. You aren't losing your edge, Anakin, he's just more resistant then most to Jedi mind control. We might find him useful on the Death Star."

Five minutes later, they were all on board the shuttle. Anakin headed for the cockpit with R2D2 in tow, as the droid had the proper departure codes. In the main shuttle bay, Luke carefully opened one of the boxes, and Leia popped out as quickly as possible.

"That was ghastly," she said in a grumpy tone, "It was like a coffin, except it smelled of nerf meat."

"You're projecting," Luke said in a superior tone, "They were filled with blasters before we emptied them ..."

"Nerf meat!" she snapped back, poking her brother's stormtrooper chest plate with an angry finger.

"Like you'd know nerf meat if it bit you," Luke riposted, "I doubt a fancy pancy princess ever ate it on Alderaan, and we ate bantha on Tatooine ..."

Kenobi and Solo were carefully extracting Rukh from his box, but Solo found time to shoot an incredulous glance at the twins.

"Yeah, they are brother and sister all right," he muttered.

"I believe they banter to relieve stress," Obi-Wan said in an amused tone, even as he reached over to assist the Noghri to his feet.

Rukh took the offered hand with the polite air of a mother humoring a child, rolled gracefully to his feet, then leaped past the twins and headed toward the cockpit.

"His place is with Anakin," Kenobi explained, even as he turned toward the last box.

"So could this be a problem?" Solo demanded.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Thrawn is still unconscious. We will remove him from the box and temporarily lock him and the ensign in the left storage room."

Han nodded, and glanced again at Leia, this time with a smile.

"And you are ridiculously short for a stormtrooper!" Leia pointed out to her brother.

/-

 _Captain Pallaeon's quarters_

 _The Chimaera_

 _In Orbit Around Tatooine_

 _6 hours later_

"Yellow alert, Captain to the bridge, yellow alert!"

Pallaeon woke, sat up so suddenly that his neck twinged, and groaned aloud.

He rubbed his hand across his face and grabbed his com from the bedstand.

"Captain Pallaeon speaking. What is the nature of the yellow alert?"

If this was something to do with a trooper brawl over a sabacc game, or reports of insect infestation of food stores, heads would _roll_. Pallaeon had been putting in extra hours of late, this was his sleep cycle, and he was tired.

"Sir, do you know where Admiral Thrawn is? He's missed a scheduled meeting with his intelligence chief."

Pallaeon sat up slowly and frowned, "He was investigating a blaster malfunction a little more than six hours ago in his quarters. I assume you've checked there?"

"Yes, sir, we've checked there. No one is answering. And oddly enough, the squad sent to his quarters more than six hours ago is missing as well. And the bodyguard Rukh and the admiral's guards are not at the door."

Pallaeon, who had still been half asleep, felt a surge of adrenalin which propelled him to his feet.

" _What?_ "

His memory flashed back to that disquieting feeling during his conversation with the unknown man in Thrawn's quarters.

Pallaeon groaned. He should have trusted that feeling.

/-

 _Storage Shed_

 _Shuttle_

 _En Route to the Death Star_

Ensign Mort stiffened as the door to his prison opened.

Finally. The waiting had been getting on his nerves. Even worse was that he was sharing this storage room/prison with Grand Admiral Thrawn. He had seen the Chiss a few times from a distance, during reviews, but had never dreamed he would be captured with him by unknown assailants. So on top of being scared out of his mind at an uncertain future, he was scared out of his mind every time Thrawn fixed his red eyes on him.

"Relax, Ensign," Thrawn said, his intent gaze fixed on the man stepping through the door into their makeshift cell.

Mort stared in surprise. The individual in question was dressed in a robe as opposed to a military uniform, and was quite elderly. Mort noted, absently, that the man had a weird handle hanging from his waist, though no other weapons were in evidence.

"General Kenobi," Thrawn stated, a slight wrinkle marring the formerly smooth forehead.

(General Who?)

"Admiral Thrawn," the Other said with a slight smile. "It's been a long time."

"Twenty-two years, I believe," Thrawn said, getting to his feet. Their captors at least had the courtesy to provide two chairs for the prisoners, though Mort had only managed to sit down for a couple of hours. The rest of the time, he had paced with nervous intensity.

Kenobi turned to stare at Mort, who swallowed nervously. The old face smiled gently, "Do not be anxious, Ensign. We mean you no harm."

Mort glanced nervously at Thrawn, "You abducted the Admiral and I'm a witness. From where I'm standing, that's not a healthy place to be."

"We mean no harm to Admiral Thrawn either," Kenobi responded courteously, "though we may, reluctantly, lock him up in a prison cell for some time if we can't come to some kind of an agreement."

Mort shot his superior an anguished look, and was impressed at the Chiss's apparent calm.

"You obviously have me at a disadvantage, General Kenobi," Thrawn said in a bland tone, "and therefore I am willing to discuss your demands, though I don't promise to submit to them."

"I prefer not to think of them as 'demands', General Thrawn," Kenobi responded, "but rather possible options. However, I'm sure both you and the ensign are in need of refreshment, so I invite you to join us in the main cabin for a discussion."

Thrawn nodded and strode boldly out of the room. Kenobi smiled encouragingly toward Mort, who hesitatingly followed his superior out of the room.

To his relief, Thrawn led him into an open area with a large table, several chairs, and occupied by miscellaneous people who seemed to be arguing, eating, or both.

No death droids, no torture droids, no pits full of engine fluid in which a hapless ensign could be dangled. All to the good.

For a heady moment, Mort considered trying to overpower someone and heroically grab a blaster. But only for a moment. There were many adversaries, and they were all armed. And hand to hand combat wasn't at all his specialty, anyway.

Thrawn walked boldly forward to meet the officer who had tried to convince Mort not to inspect the boxes back on the _Chimaera_.

"And General Anakin Skywalker," the Chiss said in an interested tone, "Kenobi and Skywalker once again. While I am not pleased with the events of the last few hours, I am willing to admit that they are interesting indeed. I thought you had both died long ago."

Skywalker (?) stared down at the Chiss for a long moment, before saying calmly, "You were mistaken, obviously. Obi-Wan has been in exile on Tatooine for the last decades, watching over my son."

The man gestured slightly, toward a very young man who was standing against the wall, "I believe you and Luke have already met, Admiral?"

Mort observed something he hadn't believed possible – a stunned Admiral Thrawn. The blue skin paled, the mouth hung open for a long moment before closing with a click.

"Darth Vader," Thrawn hissed.

 _Author Note: Mark Hamill has a remarkable ability to 'do voices'. I remember reading once that he did a great Miss Piggy, and he voices one of the villains in Riders of Berk from the How To Train Your Dragon franchise. I thought it would be fun if Luke could imitate voices, including Thrawn's. Oh, and I'm not sure if Thrawn and Kenobi ever met but I'm saying they did, in the Clone Wars era. And Thrawn and Anakin met in canon, I believe, again in the Clone Wars era._


	15. Chapter 15

_Shuttle_

 _In hyperspace_

 _"_ Darth Vader," Thrawn hissed.

Anakin Skywalker stared at the admiral for a long moment, his body rigid.

Then he relaxed, and shook his head, "That name no longer defines who I am."

Thrawn's eyes were narrowed, "Certainly the man Anakin Skywalker, and the cyborg Darth Vader, would seem to have nothing in common. Skywalker was an enthusiastic, gifted, if somewhat naïve youth. Vader a brutal, impatient, if fairly competent, commander. And yet you tell me that they are one and the same."

"I have left Vader behind," Anakin said, forcing himself to remain calm. He was being baited. Before finding Luke, he would have reacted strongly to anyone daring to challenge him this way.

The Light, and his children, were worth self control, but he admitted to himself that at this moment, he'd give a lot to give the blue alien a long and unloving squeeze of the windpipe.

Kenobi, the former negotiator, spoke up smoothly, "Much has changed in Anakin's life in the last few years, Admiral Thrawn. Those changes are partly why we are here at this moment. I propose, with your agreement, that we settle down for a specific discussion of the galactic situation."

Anakin, who was struggling with his temper, was suddenly hit with two wildly conflicting emotions from his children. Leia took a tiny step forward as she generated great enthusiasm at the thought of sitting at a table with a wily and complicated Imperial Admiral discussing politics. Luke, whose eyes were widened now, was generating profound horror at the thought of the same thing.

His anger dissipated, to be replaced by amusement. How well he remembered his wife's enthusiasm for political meetings. How well he remembered his pained boredom when he'd guarded her during said committee meetings.

"Luke," he said aloud, "perhaps you and Captain Solo would take the ensign into the back room? I don't think you need to be here."

Luke brightened openly, "Ok, sounds great! Ensign? This way, please."

The ensign in question looked terrified, and Kenobi interceded, "Ensign, we will not harm you. Be at peace."

This was said with sufficient Force suggestion that the man calmed slightly, though not as much as might be expected. Again, Anakin noted this man seemed quite resistant to mind control.

Luke, Solo, and the young Imperial left out the back room of the main cabin, and Anakin sat down with a gesture toward Thrawn, who also sat down. Leia took a seat next to her (unknown to Thrawn) father, and Kenobi remained standing near the Imperial general.

Rukh suddenly entered the room from the small galley, carrying a tray with cups full of water. He placed them on the table near Anakin, stared menacingly at Thrawn, and then took a step back to hover near Anakin protectively.

Then, to Thrawn's surprise (though not Anakin's), Leia took the lead.

"Admiral Thrawn," she said smoothly, folding her hands on the table in front of her, "I know comparatively little about you, but what I do know, as I said back on the _Chimaera_ , is rather puzzling to me. You are well known as a brilliant strategist who has worked loyally for many years for a xenophobic master in the form of Emperor Palpatine. Now that he is dead, you are attempting to gain control of the Empire. The elder Skywalker has spoken of you with cautious approval, as he says you are not needlessly brutal towards either civilians or your own men. I would invite your comments on your goals for the Empire that you seek to mold, in order to evaluate whether they might mesh with our own hopes."

Thrawn leaned back now, his brow frowning slightly. He then glanced at Anakin.

"So you are permitting a teenager to negotiate with me?" he asked curiously.

Anakin permitted himself a grim smile, "Obi-Wan and I are both Jedi, and while Obi-Wan is a far better politician than I am, Princess Leia grew up with both the training and natural ability to conduct delicate negotiations. So, yes."

Thrawn stared at him for a long moment, then turned his attention back to the princess. He leaned forward, steepling his long blue fingers.

"How much do you know of the Chiss culture and civilization, Princess Leia?" he asked courteously.

She shook her head slightly.

"Comparatively little," she admitted, "though we did discover some information in the databases on the Death Star. The Chiss capital planet is Csilla, located in the Unknown Regions beyond Jedha. Your culture is an ancient and complex one, with an oligarchy of ruling families, though we are unclear on the specifics of how those families interact."

The Grand Admiral nodded, reluctantly impressed with the girl's words and demeanor. Limited information, yes, but while there was little pretense at claiming advanced knowledge, Organa had provided sufficient details to indicate she might well know substantially more than she claimed. Or not.

An excellent political tactic. Again, Thrawn felt a stab of annoyance that he knew so little about the Organa family.

"Are you familiar with the Chiss views on offensive and defensive military strikes?"

Organa shook her head, "No, I am not."

Thrawn leaned back with a slight sigh. Briefly, he glanced at the ceiling, considering how much to share with his abductors. He must be careful to provide enough information to sway the others toward his cause, if possible, without revealing anything which weaken himself in particular, and his people in general.

He looked at the princess again, choosing to meet her eyes instead of glancing at the males in the room. His instinct was that focusing on the woman, with the teenage face and form, but with wise eyes, would be his best hope in persuading the group to at least partially fall in line with his own plans.

"The Chiss Ascendency, which is composed of the ruling families you mentioned, has long held the belief that military activity, while necessary, should only occur defensively, after being attacked."

Anakin Skywalker spoke now, his head tilted slightly, "So you mean that the Chiss will only permit a defense of a world, but not an offensive against an enemy?"

Thrawn shook his head slightly, "It is a trifle more complex than that, General Skywalker. The Chiss will not initiate a war, but once an attack has begun, my people will campaign to eradicate the offenders. Once war has been declared, we will go on the offensive. We will pursue our enemies across the stars to destroy their fleets, to take over their worlds if necessary. But we will not make the first strike."

Princess Leia shook her head in a puzzled way, "That sounds quite honorable, Admiral Thrawn, but I gather from your tone that you disagree with it."

"It seems unviable," Anakin spoke up, partially to Thrawn, partially to his daughter, "Because if an enemy knew of the Chiss commitment to waiting until a first attack, they could strategize to dominate important trade routes, build up armies and navies, without fearing a preemptive strike."

Leia's brow was furrowed, "I'm still not sure I understand …"

"Hypothetically," Obi-Wan said gravely, "if the Chiss commitment to a defensive posture was taken to its logical limit, the Death Star could go into orbit around a planet with the clear capability of destroying that planet, but the Chiss would be honor bound to wait until the planet was destroyed before attempting to defend themselves."

The girl drew in a quick breath, and turned her eyes to Thrawn, "Is that true, Admiral?"

Thrawn nodded grimly, "Indeed."

Leia leaned back slightly and blew out a slow breath, "Well, I certainly see the problem. I'm curious as to how such a belief system arose in your culture."

Thrawn shrugged, "The reasons are somewhat lost in the mists of time, Princess, but apparently there were epochs when the leading families of the Chiss engaged in multiple pre-emptive strikes, resulting in the death of many. This philosophy was no doubt an attempt to end that vicious cycle."

Organa looked grave, "Did you attempt to speak to your people, the leaders of the Chiss Ascendency, about your concerns?"

In spite of himself, Thrawn smiled wryly, "It would be more accurate to say that as a leading commander of the Chiss military, I chose to engage in preemptive strikes in spite of the cultural requirements against such strikes."

"And?" Kenobi asked.

Thrawn looked away, "I was sent into exile."

/-

 _Back of the shuttle craft_

Ensign Mort gazed nervously into the mirror in the refresher as he washed his hands. He was definitely pale. His clothes were wrinkled. He was hungry. Thirsty. And scared.

He briefly considered hiding in the refresher, but they'd obviously haul him out, either irritated or homicidal.

Why had he gone into the Imperial Service, anyway? It had seemed like a fine career for a young man from Tralus, with options for advancement. And then things had gotten crazy. Darth Vader disappeared. Emperor Palpatine and Darth Hamanen died. And he ended up on Thrawn's flagship, a minor, reluctant cog in a fleet attempting to take the Empire.

And then he was abducted. With Admiral Thrawn.

With a suppressed groan, he opened the refresher door and stepped timidly into the room. A small table had been yanked into the middle of the room, and his two captors were seated at the table, gazing thoughtfully at sabacc cards. There were three cups at the table, filled with some unknown liquid, and a large bowl of pepper pretzels in one corner.

"Hey!" the older man said (Solo was his name, apparently), "Do you know how to play sabacc, Ensign?"

"I'm getting tired of calling you 'Ensign'," the younger man said, even as he frowned intently at his hand. "What's your name?"

Mort blinked, "I'm, ah, Ensign Mort."

Solo glanced up, "Sit down, Mort, and stay awhile. Say, your accent sounds Corellian?"

Mort hesitantly sat down on the third chair, and nodded nervously, "I'm from Tralus, one of the Five Brothers around the sun Corell."

Solo held out a hand, "Nice to meet a near neighbor. Han Solo, of Corellia, independent trader and ... uh ..."

"Smuggler ..." the youth finished. "And I'm Luke Skywalker."

The ensign, with the bemused feeling that he was in some kind of peculiar dream, shook hands with both of them.

"So, how's your sabacc?" Solo inquired singlemindedly.

"I'm uh Ok, not that I have any credits right now ..."

"That's fine," Solo said, waving a hand, "the Kid is totally clueless about sabacc so we're just playing games for fun, not credits. It would be like taking blob candy from a baby nerf at this point."

"If I don't cheat using the Force," Skywalker said, looking vaguely indignant. "Not that I would but I do have some skills that you don't, Han."

Mort breathed through his nose a few times carefully as Solo dealt him in, then stared with 13% of his brain power at the cards.

The other 87% of his mental capacity was focused on other issues.

Suddenly he put the cards down (face down) and turned to Skywalker.

"So Darth Vader is your ...?" he began.

"Father?" Skywalker answered cheerfully. "Well, sort of. I mean, he goes by his birth name now, Anakin Skywalker. He's not really Vader anymore. But sometimes he actually puts the stupid armor and helmet back on, which he hates. Lots of people can't believe that he's the same person as Vader if he's not in the helmet and everything. Except he isn't Vader, really."

Mort stared at the youth for a long, bewildered moment, then turned to look at Solo pleadingly.

"Darth Vader," Solo said, grabbing a pepper pretzel, "got fixed up medically a few years ago so he doesn't need the armor anymore. He's trying to make up for wreaking havoc on the galaxy for 15 years. Sometimes he puts armor on so people know he's the same guy ... it has a pretty predictable effect on, well, everybody. Does that make sense?"

"Yes?" the ensign, responded, in an uncertain tone.

The captain sighed.

"Just play sabacc, Mort," Solo suggested.

Probably good advice.

/-

"The Old Republic was weak," Thrawn stated coldly, "a morass of politicians and rival factions and confusion. The Clone Wars ..."

"Were instigated by Palpatine himself," Kenobi interrupted, a trifle indignantly. "He was masterminding the entire conflict so that he could take control as Chancellor, and then Emperor."

"And what does it say of your vaunted Jedi Order," Thrawn riposted smoothly, "not to mention the leadership of the Senate, that none of you knew of Palpatine's subterfuge until after he had taken power?"

There was a pause, and Kenobi ran a weary hand across his face, "We were indeed blind."

Anakin's eyes lowered, "He was very ... convincing, Palpatine. I thought of him as a wise mentor. Even my wife, who was one of the most intelligent individuals I've ever known, trusted him for many years."

"Who was your wife?" Thrawn demanded boldly.

The blue eyes looked down, filled with wistful longing, "Padme Amidala of Naboo. Our marriage was a secret, of course, due to the rules against attachment in the Jedi Order."

The Chiss stared thoughtfully, then nodded.

"To get back to the issue at hand," Leia said, even as she reached out with the Force to give her father's mind a comforting nudge. "For all its unwieldiness, its errors, its blindness, the Galactic Republic was at least a democracy. The Empire under Palpatine was a brutal regime, ruling with violence and fear. If we hadn't taken the Death Star, Tarkin would have ordered the destruction of worlds in order to maintain control. Do you approve of that, Admiral?"

Thrawn considered the woman for a long moment, even as a slight smile played across his features.

"You are very young, Princess."

For the first time, Organa looked indignant, and then her face smoothed, "If you consider my desires for democracy, and peace, naïve, I assure you that my parents share them."

The Chiss stared at her for a long moment, then leaned forward slightly, "And what if democracy, and a commitment to peace, brings down your entire culture?"

She lifted an aristocratic eyebrow, "I assume you refer to something specific, Admiral?"

The Admiral stood up abruptly, causing Rukh to stiffen. Leia, Anakin, and Obi-Wan merely looked up at him with interest.

"Indeed I do, Princess Leia. In the early days of my career, when I still served in the Chiss military forces, my people engaged more than once with not one, but two groups of aliens, of largely unknown origin, who showed their willingness, their eagerness indeed, to violently destroy all Chiss life. They would not negotiate, they would not take a planet and plunder it of its resources and use its people. They killed, they murdered, they destroyed. One group enslaved, but not just body slavery, but mind slavery. These groups have much power, unknown power. My goal in supporting Palpatine was to keep my people safe. The Empire, or whatever replaces it, must have a strong military, with the ability to stand firm against these peoples when they strike. For they will strike. They await out there in the deep Unknown Regions for a weakness to exploit. And if they come, if they penetrate into our galaxy, many worlds will die, and billions of souls as well. That is why I served Palpatine. Because the Republic was weak, and Palpatine, for all his selfishness, was a brilliant tactician, with a strong military, and with remarkable insight and power."

Leia was frowning even as Anakin spoke, "I have not heard of these peoples you speak of."

Thrawn shook his head, "The Emperor forbade me to tell anyone of them, though he certainly mined me of information about them. I realize now that he might have been planning to work with the Ssi-Ruuk ..."

"And who are they?" Leia demanded.

Thrawn sat back down now, his face looking slightly weary, "A reptilian race, profoundly xenophobic, which I realize was one of Palpatine's issues as well. But the Ssi-Ruuk believe that the only value of another species is to be used for entechment. They have the capability of utilizing the life energies of another sentient being to energize their mechanical technology."

Kenobi gasped, even as Leia's face paled in horror.

"That seems impossible," the old Jedi said.

"It does, indeed, but we have seen it. Bodies emptied, their energy transferred into weapons of war until the weapon mercifully is destroyed. A terrible fate."

Anakin raised shrewd eyebrows, "And yet you believe Palpatine might have been dealing with these people?"

The Admiral nodded reluctantly, "I received intelligence reports from my own spies of meetings between the Ssi-Ruuk and Palpatine. If they gave him their entechment technology, it would have given the Emperor a substantial additional military edge."

There was a long silence, and then Leia said wearily, "I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is the other group you spoke of?"

"We know even less of them, Princess Leia," Thrawn said gravely, "But we call them the Far Outsiders."

 _Author Note: I sweated bullets writing this chapter, wow. I'm likely not going to go into details on the Far Outsiders. Not necessarily the Vong of the Extended Universe (or Legends Universe). Just some super baddies out there that freak out Thrawn, to the point that he decided he was better off supporting Palpatine. The Ssi-Ruuk are from the Truce at Bakura book by Kathy Tyers._


	16. Chapter 16

_The Millennium Falcon_

 _In hyperspace_

 _12 hours out from the Death Star_

Anakin Skywalker collapsed on his bed even as he closed the door to his cabin with the Force.

He. Was. Exhausted.

With a groan, he lay back as thoughts trickled slowly through his consciousness. They had rendezvoused with the _Millennium Falcon_ in deep space, and transferred themselves and their captives into the surprisingly agile and fast freighter. Which meant that if the shuttle they had commandeered was being tracked (unlikely, but barely possible) they were now safer. Thrawn was locked up in one of the cabins, and Luke, Rukh, Leia, and Chewbacca the Wookiee would be taking turns guarding him.

He sucked in a deep breath, rolled on his side, and buried his head into his pillow.

Why was he so tired?

Back in his days as a cruel and vicious cyborg Sith Lord, he had rarely felt so fatigued. He had almost been unstoppable, in spite of the pain of the prosthetics and burns. Was the Dark Side truly stronger ...?

Anakin fell asleep.

/-

She was seated on a wooden bench with a tall and elaborately carved back. Her dark hair flowed, curly and loose, around her shoulders. She was dressed in a simple robe of green. Her brown eyes were fixed on a fountain the middle of a garden. The rays from the one sun in the sky caught in the droplets, casting a rainbow upon the flagged walkway in front of the bench. Flowers in dazzling yellows, vibrant blues, and gentle pinks encircled a statue of, oddly enough, an opee sea killer. It wasn't the most attractive of fishes, and Anakin was startled that someone would make a statue out of it.

But then this was a dream, so perhaps his subconscious mind was throwing an ugly fish into the middle of it for esoteric reasons.

Padme looked up, her pensive expression shifting to one of surprise and delight.

"Ani!"

She was up now, stepping forward, throwing herself in his arms. He smelled her hair, scented with the Juna berry shampoo that she had liked so much.

He remembered buying her 24 bottles once, which she laughed about, saying it would last her the rest of her life.

Which indeed it had ...

Tears filled his eyes, and she stretched up to plant a kiss on his lips, "Ani, please, you need to forgive yourself."

He ducked his head, shook it, "It's hard, Padme."

"I know," she said gently, "But if you wallow in guilt, you'll be a wreck, and an annoying and useless one at that. Now come, sit down with me."

She led him to the bench and sat down, pulling him to the seat next to her. Anakin took a deep breath and found himself relaxing, even as he placed his arm around her. She snuggled against him, her face toward the fountain so he couldn't see her expression. But he could tell, from her body language, that she was at peace.

"That's why you're tired, by the way," she commented suddenly.

He frowned, "What?"

The Senator turned now, lifting her brows slightly, "You're tired because you're working through emotional upheaval, my love. You buried your guilt about harming me and our child, our children, actually, for many years. Of late, you've been processing your guilt and sorrow, and it is tiring. You're also worried about the twins, anxious that they will be harmed in a dangerous and challenging galaxy. It takes energy to care for someone, Anakin. That is why, I believe, some people choose not to love."

He shook his head, slightly incredulous, "Padme ..."

He hesitated, then continued, "Senator, you are ... you, right? Not a figment of my own subconscious? I mean, you told me about Leia so you must be you, not my internal creation of you, I mean ... "

Anakin trailed off, confused.

She burst out laughing, even as she dug a gentle elbow into his side, "Yes, Ani, I'm me. Not some bizarre psychological representation of me. Which is why I yell at you for your own good. Which is why I don't show up every time you'd like me around. I've actually got other things to do, you know? Or actually you don't, I suppose."

Her husband relaxed and closed his eyes. Smiled. Of course it was really Padme. He would have made a softer and gentler Padme in his mind, not one who berated and challenged him early and often.

"So where are we, anyway?" Anakin asked after a comfortable silence of a few minutes.

Padme roused herself slightly and turned toward him, a smile brightening her face, "This is the Peace Garden, of the Royal Palace in Theed, Naboo."

He looked up in surprise, "What's with the Opee Sea Killer? Not a very peaceful fish."

She smiled ruefully, "I believe the statue was installed to remind us that peace is a fragile and elusive thing. There are always predators out there, some of them primitive and aggressive beasts, some intelligent and crafty sentients. I would have done well to have embraced that truth as both queen and senator. I was so busy ..."

The Senator shook her head a little, ruefully, "I think we were all too busy, Ani. We rushed from one crisis to another, and it was difficult to step back and see the big picture. We focused on the Nala trees, and missed the tree frogs."

"That was Palpatine's doing," her husband muttered softly.

"I know, but perhaps if we hadn't been so frantic with everything he was stirring up, we could have seen the truth earlier. I don't know, Anakin. I'm not blaming me, or you. We were all deceived. I just look back and wish I'd spent more time sitting in a garden, with my love at my side, staring at water. Perhaps ..."

Anakin felt his eyes filling with tears, and wiped them away quickly, "You are right."

There was a pensive pause before he continued, "Do you think we are falling into the same error now?"

She lifted a hand, ran it down the side of his face, before speaking, "Perhaps. I think we should talk about your conversation with Thrawn."

/-

 _Main crew area_

 _Millennium Falcon_

 _In hyperspace_

Ensign Mort stepped cautiously into the room and glanced around nervously. He had slept for six hours, woken up hungry and thirsty, and had decided to see if he could find something to eat and imbibe without being shot.

To his surprise, his captors continued to be remarkably mellow about his movements. Admiral Thrawn was locked in one of the cabins, and Mort had passed the menacing Noghri Rukh outside his superior's abode while making his way down the corridor. But no one seemed to pay much attention to him.

Which was, Mort admitted to himself, quite reasonable. He wasn't a warrior, he was an ensign. He was here by accident, and he wouldn't do anyone any good by trying to do something stupidly heroic.

Besides which (and here he cheered up slightly), it appeared that his main captor was Lord Darth Vader himself! So Mort wasn't really, exactly, committing treason or anything if he fell in with the plans of those aboard this wreck of a ship.

The youth named Skywalker, who was sitting on a bench next to the (gorgeous) Princess Leia Organa, looked up now and waved Mort into the room.

"Hi, Ensign!" the youth said in a welcoming manner, "Have some Corellian ale ..."

"That's mine, Kid," Solo said grumpily. The man was lying on his side, his arms deep within an apparently malfunctioning panel in the wall. Based on the occasional yelps of indignation, and the sparking, the repair wasn't going smoothly.

Skywalker rolled his eyes, quietly poured a glass of ale, handed it to Mort, and floated some kind of sandwich from a nearby table into the ensign's hand.

The floating thing was very freaky. Mort didn't like it.

"Have a seat, Ensign," Leia Organa said suddenly, looking up from her holopad.

He swallowed nervously and sat down on a chair across from the two. He hadn't seen many women in the last couple of years of Imperial service, and certainly no woman as incredibly good looking as Princess Leia Organa.

She stared at him with a slight frown, and Mort felt a peculiar twitch in his head, like ... like ... like insects were walking across his skull.

Ick. He ran a quick hand over his hair, nervously, and was relieved to feel no bugs.

The woman broke her intense stare and glanced at Skywalker. They shared a long look, Organa nodded, and then looked back down at her datapad.

"So," Skywalker said, clearing his throat, "are you aware, Ensign Mort, that you are a fairly strong Force sensitive?"

Mort felt his mouth open, then he closed it convulsively, "Uh, what?"

"Force sensitive. Like me, and my father. We are connected to the Force in an unusual way, and so are you. I can't tell how strong you are, but you showed a remarkable ability to ignore a strong Force suggestion by my father back on the _Chimaera_."

Mort looked, and felt, horrified, "Is that why you took me? Because ... because ..."

"Because you resisted a Force suggestion?" Skywalker said, smiling apparently sympathetically. "I'm afraid so. If you'd just let us board the shuttle, you'd probably still be back on your capital ship."

Mort groaned, dropping his head to his hands. Both held food or drink, so he took this opportunity to gulp down some ale and take a couple of bites.

"Cheer up, Ensign," Organa said with a predatory smile, "you might well have been executed for letting us escape. You never quite know with the Empire."

Reluctantly, Mort conceded that this was a good point.

There was a pause.

"So, you mean I might be able to make things float in the air?" he finally asked uneasily.

Skywalker smiled a little, tilted his head, "Perhaps. As I said, I'm not sure how strong you are, or what your particular gifting is. But you should know that you have some ... unusual abilities, Ensign."

Mort just blinked. And then suddenly, felt that strange itch on his head again.

This time he more than brushed, he whacked. Given how dilapidated this ship was, there could be anything ...

Skywalker chuckled aloud, "You felt that, didn't you?"

Mort looked bewildered, "Yeah, I felt ... I felt something ..."

"I tapped your mind with the Force, Mort. Most people wouldn't feel that, but you did. Shows you're a Force sensitive."

The ensign sagged against his seat in relief, "I thought it was a small rat roach or something.

Solo sat up in outrage.

"There are no rat roaches on my ship!" he roared.

Mort flinched slightly, "I'm sorry, Captain. I just didn't expect, uh, someone to tap my brain. With a mysterious and esoteric Force thing ..."

Solo relaxed slightly, even as he kicked the offending panel shut, apparently satisfied with his repairs, "Yeah, being around Skywalker and company results in a lot of strange situations."

The youth looked mildly reproachful, "You're blaming _me_ for the weird situations you get yourself in, Han ...?"

He trailed away and suddenly looked upward intently, then glanced at the princess, "Father wants to see us both in his cabin."

She nodded. Both young people rose with unnerving synchronicity, and strode out of the room.

Solo sank onto the recently vacated bench.

"Hand me that ale, Ensign," he ordered.

Mort meekly passed it over, and watched as the smuggler downed a large slug of alcohol.

The ensign suddenly blurted out, "How can this be happening to me? I'm just a lowly Imperial officer. I got up a day ago expecting to be bored out my skull, as usual, and I ended up here, a semi prisoner, with Admiral Thrawn!"

"Skywalker Syndrome, Ensign Mort." the captain said with a weary air of resignation. "When Luke and his old man are around, crazy things happen."

/-

 _Anakin's cabin_

The twins entered the cabin to find their biological father sitting crosslegged on the bed, his eyes fixed in an unnerving stare on the ceiling.

Luke and Leia stared at him in bewilderment. He was usually hyper sensitive to their presence, but now he seemed lost in space.

After a minute passed, and Anakin only blinked, Luke prodded him gently with the Force even as he said, "Father?"

Anakin started suddenly and looked at them in shock, then embarrassment.

"Luke, Leia, I'm sorry. I didn't see you. Please sit down."

They exchanged glances, sat down on two simple chairs at one side of the cabin, and waited.

"I just talked to your mother, Padme," Anakin said, his eyes faraway, "in a dream."

"That's nice," Leia said politely, "I hope?

Anakin smiled now, "Yes, it was very nice. She didn't berate me this time, which is a rarity in our interactions."

His face took on a yearning look, "She is so beautiful ..."

"Let me guess, you spent the whole dream kissing," Luke said with his eyes narrowed.

His father looked slightly abashed, chuckled nervously, then shook his head, "Not the whole time, no. Uh, let us commence with my reason for calling you here. Your mother was present during our conversation with Thrawn."

"Wait a minute," Leia interrupted, "I don't understand. I sort of thought she was in your mind or something. So isn't she always with you in some way?"

Her sire shook his head, "No. As with most things involving the Force Afterlife, much is unexplained. She said, vaguely, that she has other things to do and isn't with me all the time. But she did sit in on the conversation with Thrawn, so to speak."

"And?" Leia asked with great interest. She had only met her biological mother at birth, but she had read Padme Amidala's speeches, knew of her political acumen and brilliance.

"Your mother ... Padme, I mean, is of the view that Thrawn is right about many things."

A pause.

Two frowns.

"Really?" Luke demanded, "Like about enslaving the Noghri, torturing people, that kind of thing?"

"No," Anakin said quickly, "No, not those things, though I am not sure that Thrawn's interrogation methods are as brutal as ... as my own were. And the Noghri situation is complex, due to the high importance of honor in their culture. Because of Palpatine's, because of _my_ manipulation of the Noghri, they are now honor bound to serve me and my family. That will need to be dealt with in a culturally appropriate manner, soon.

"But Thrawn claims, and I believe he is correct, that there are very dangerous forces outside our galaxy and we would be foolish to ignore that reality. We cannot lay down our arms, we cannot dissolve our fleets. We must maintain a strong military presence in the Empire, or whatever replaces it, to protect the worlds of the Core, of the Middle Rim, of the Outer Rim."

Luke glanced nervously at Leia. He knew how important peace, was to the people Alderaan ...

"I agree with you," she said unexpectedly.

Based on the surprise and relief on Anakin's face, he too had expected argument from his biological daughter.

Leia gave her male relatives a long suffering look, "Don't be too focused on the official Alderaanian views on pacifism. My parents have been working quietly against the Empire for many years, and much money was funneled into cells opposing Imperial policies. But ..."

She stood up now and began pacing within the narrow confines of the cabin, "There must be rapid change. We need to free the slaves, including the Wookiees. We must fairly judge those accused of war crimes. We must empty prisons of political prisoners. We must bring about an end to the unending fighting between the rival factions struggling for control of the Empire, without using callous brutality. We must reinstate at least some form of democracy as soon as possible. We must seek to unite the various ..."

The princess continued to speak, striding faster, her face aglow with enthusiasm, her voice eloquent.

Anakin had taken on his wide eyed, faraway look again.

"So much like her mother," he breathed softly.

"Politics are a dead bore," Luke muttered.

 _Author note: Dudes and dudettes, this is still not flowing easily! Politics are exhausting, even pretend politics in a galaxy far far away. Thanks for those of you following and reviewing, and thanks to my wonderful husband for editing!_


	17. Chapter 17

_The Chimaera_

 _In orbit around Rodia_

 _4 days later_

Captain Pellaeon nodded to the commander and gestured slightly, "You have the bridge, Commander."

"Yes, sir."

Pellaeon marched off the bridge, head high, steps stately. He acknowledged, with a nod, the officers and troopers who saluted him, even as he moved steadily toward his quarters.

He marched into his quarters and shut the door, then allowed his shoulders to sag.

Captain Gilad Pellaeon was exhausted, discouraged, and bewildered.

It has been many days since Admiral Thrawn had disappeared. Pellaeon had, once he had searched the ship from stem to stern, ordered the _Chimaera_ and the rest of the fleet to Rodia. Thrawn had clearly been abducted, no doubt with the help of the missing Noghri Rukh, and it seemed unwise to leave the fleet in orbit around Tatooine, ripe for attack.

That was as far as Pellaeon had gotten in his thinking, however. He was intelligent and hard working and diligent, but he was no Thrawn. With the Chiss in command, the galaxy was the limit. With middle aged Pellaeon in command, the best he could hope for was limited casualties.

With a soft groan, the Captain glanced at his holoterminal. He knew he had reports to process and requisition orders to sign, but he was completely overwhelmed right now.

He needed to unwind.

For a long moment, he hesitated. He really shouldn't. But he needed to relax. He needed it.

He keyed open a special drawer in his dresser, considered, and removed severeal items inside with a sigh of pleasure.

Five minutes later, he was in his happy place, the music flowing around him, his body moving with the joy of deep muscle memory. In this time, and this place, there were no requisitions, no shield issues, no shortages of vital medicine.

Just a man, in a leotard, dancing.

The rapt bliss was rudely interrupted when a very familiar voice suddenly said, "Most interesting, Captain Pellaeon. I see Huttese motifs in your pirouettes. I had no idea you were a practitioner of sand-wave ballet."

By the end of this measured utterance, Pellaeon had turned around to stare, with slackened jaw and very red face, at the large holo screen mounted at one end of main quarters.

This. Could. Not. Be. Happening.

89% of him was suffused with an embarrassment beyond anything he had ever experienced in his life. If only the floor would open beneath him and swallow him into the bowels of the ship.

The other 11% noted that his superior looked well.

"Admiral Thrawn," he said, saluting firmly, ignoring the fact that he was dressed in a ballet costume. At least he'd gone with black today as opposed to puce.

"At ease, Captain. I had noted long ago your remarkable balance for your age. I was not aware it was because you dance. Excellent."

There was a voice offscreen, a rather irritable one, "We don't have all day, Thrawn."

The Chiss glanced to his right, smiled slightly, and nodded, "Indeed. Captain Pellaeon, I am uninjured and the guest of the very much alive Lord Darth Vader, who is himself in control of the Death Star. We are in the midst of fruitful negotiations and I anticipate an alliance which will result in the joining of our fleets. I urge you to remain where you are and await further instructions."

"Yes, sir," the Captain responded blankly.

"Thrawn out."

Pellaeon sagged slightly, filled with a mixture of relief and shame. But really, what was there to be embarrassed about? Thrawn was deeply interested in art, and dance was an art form.

And given that his orders were to wait, he had some time.

With a smile, he began dancing again.

/-

 _Death Star_

 _In orbit around Honoghr_

"Ballet dancing?" Anakin demanded irritably of his blue skinned potential ally. "Really?"

"Dancing is an art form," Thrawn said gravely, "and as such it reveals the inner soul of the individual. I was not aware that Captain Pellaeon dances, but it sheds new and positive light on him."

Anakin sighed, "Please just tell me he is competent."

Thrawn smiled slightly, "He is most competent, yes."

/-

 _Grand Dukha (meeting place)_

 _Nystao (capitol of Honoghr)_

 _Honoghr_

" _And then Fixer dared me to fly it with my eyes closed, and I did! Which I admit was kind of dumb but it was fun. Of course, I didn't know I was a Force sensitive, didn't know what the Force was, but it was like I could 'see' the canyon walls at some level ..."_

" _Luke, focus, focus, focus. I know you're bored but you_ look _bored, which is most unwise during tense diplomatic negotiations._ "

 _"Leia, they've been talking for more than an hour in a language we don't know about who knows what. I would have gone mad if we hadn't been chatting telepathically. Don't pull out on me now!"_

" _Aw, is the poor little moisture farmer from a backwards Outer Rim World bored? I used to have to sit in front of a mirror for three hours getting my hair arranged just so, then go to a state banquet for_ four _hours knowing that if I used the wrong fork, it would be in the holopress the next day."_

 _"You really are a hero, sweet twin. I would have plunged that fork into my heart and been released by sweet death."_

" _Uh, looks like they are ready to talk to us, Luke."_

Both of Darth Vader's children stood slightly straighter as the high matriarch of the Noghri abruptly rose from her elaborate chair, sitting on a platform at one end of the dukha, and walked close to them.

She was short even next to Leia, but her posture, and the respect of the Noghri council, signaled her position of importance in the complex Noghri culture.

She bent forward slightly, and Luke and Leia held out their hands. The ritual smelling of their hands began and ended within a minute, and then the matriarch straightened.

"Mal'ary'esh, Mal'ary' ush," she stated gravely, nodding first to Luke, then to Leia. Her Basic was excellent, but with a strong and unfamiliar accent.

"The most noble Rukh has told me in detail of the treachery of the Empire, of the Emperor Palpatine, of _your father,_ the Lord Darth Vader. Our planet was, it seems, accidentally poisoned when the great ship fell from the skies many revolutions around the sun ago, destroying most of the plants and crops on our much loved Honoghr. And then Vader came, pledging aid but actually keeping it poisoned through the decon droids supposedly sent to heal our land. This deception resulted in our pledging our allegiance to Vader under false pretenses. The council and I have conferred. We, the Noghri people, now break our allegiance to Darth Vader. You are no longer the Mal'ary'esh and Mal'ary'ush of our people as of this moment."

 _"Well, that was easy_ ," Luke commented, his telepathic voice relieved.

Leia spoke immediately, "We accept your judgement, Matriarch, and we concur. Our father's sins against the Noghri people are legion, and we, his children, bear his apologies on his behalf. You are free now, noble Noghri, and as we told Rukh earlier, we pledge our aid to your people and your lands to seek healing from all that you have suffered under the Empire's cruel and duplicitous tactics."

" _Leia, sometimes you are a walking dictionary_ ," Luke commented snarkily and silently.

" _Shut up!"_

The Matriarch nodded gravely and bowed her head slightly, "The apology from Darth Vader is accepted. And given that you, Princess Leia Organa, adopted daughter of Bail Organa of Alderaan, have struggled, along with your brother Luke Skywalker, to bring us freedom and restoration to our land, the council has chosen to confer the joint title of Mal'ary on both of you. It is truly a rare honor, as there have not been joint saviors of the Noghri people in many generations.

"What?" Luke blurted.

Leia's mouth hung open briefly, then closed carefully, "Most noble Matriarch, we are truly honored, but we are only doing what is right for your people after our father nearly destroyed you. We are not worthy."

The Matriarch stepped closer now, and both twins could see the wisdom in her aged eyes, "Your humility shows that indeed, you are worthy, twin children of Lord Vader."

In both of their minds, Luke and Leia heard Anakin Skywalker chortling hysterically.

/-

 _Conference Room #4_

 _Death Star_

 _In orbit around Honoghr_

Anakin, who had been struggling mightily, gave in and began laughing.

Admiral Thrawn, and the others attending the strategy meeting, looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"What is it, Anakin?" Bail Organa asked in a long suffering tone.

"Luke just let me know that he and your daughter Leia have been chosen to be joint saviors of the Noghri people. So I'm out, they are in."

(It was tedious continuing to hide Leia's true biological heritage from Thrawn, but for the time being it seemed the wisest course.)

Bail looked startled now, "What does being the 'saviors of the Noghri' entail?"

Anakin's smile faded now.

"It is truly an honor," the former Sith said heavily, "a contract between the Noghri and their saviors. On the one hand the Noghri promise obedience and service. On the other hand, the saviors pledge to guide and protect the Noghri people."

He shook his head now, "I took so much from them, including their freedom, and gave them nothing but treachery."

"We can and will change that, with Luke and Leia's help," Breha Organa said firmly.

"The Noghri too will be in danger if the Far Outsiders or the Ssi-Ruuk invade our galaxy," Thrawn pointed out, "so their service is of value to their culture regardless of the reason for their allegiance to the Empire."

"They pledged their loyalty under false pretenses," Anakin said firmly.

"The clone troopers of the Old Republic were sentients forced to be loyal due to genetic modification and the chips in their heads," pointed out Thrawn silkily, "and thus you could argue successfully that they were enslaved even more severely than the Noghri. And yet, none of the Jedi protested their fighting and dying for the Republic until Order 66 was carried out."

Kenobi actually moaned softly even as he covered his face with his hand.

"A regrettable memory, I am sure," Thrawn said with a speculative look in his eye.

The old Jedi shook his head slightly even as he looked up, "Order 66 was indeed traumatic and devastating, but you are correct, Thrawn. We were in the midst of a war and would have lost many battles without the clones. But they were sentient beings, with tampered genetics, and we used them. We were wrong."

"Do any still live?" Breha asked softly.

"Yes," Anakin said with a sigh, "many do, though due to their accelerated growth many are no longer elite stormtroopers at this juncture. Another problem we will need to solve."

Thrawn looked at Anakin thoughtfully, "Indeed. Now back to the purpose of this meeting."

The former Sith Lord straightened, "Right. Ysanne Isard, Ars Dangor, and the taking of Coruscant. I say we just take the Death Star and our giant fleets and go to Coruscant and take the planet. We have the firepower."

"Which we will not use," Breha Organa said sternly. "We will not destroy a planet with billions upon billions of souls."

"No, of course not ..." Anakin trailed off as he focused on Thrawn, "I assume you have another plan?"

"Yes. Something a trifle more subtle," Thrawn said with more than a tinge of sarcasm.

Anakin's eyes narrowed briefly, and then he let out a breath and nodded, "Well, you are the genius tactician and I'm not. Please expound."

And for the next 2 hours, Thrawn did.

 _Author Note: Another chapter, finally! I think we're winding down this fic but it'll probably go longer than anticipated because it always does, right?_


	18. Chapter 18

_The former Emperor Palpatine's Palace_

 _Imperial City_

 _Imperial Center_

The door to Ysanne Isard's lavish and opulent office slid open and Ars Dangor stepped in.

She rose for her chair, her forehead wrinkled, even as her own guards stepped forward protectively.

"At ease," she barked irritably, then gestured to the seat beside her. "It's about time you got here. Sit down."

Dangor nodded as he lowered himself onto the krayt dragon chair next to the de facto leader of the Imperial forces of Imperial Center.

For a long moment, the two gazed at one another. Finally Dangor nodded toward Isard's holoterminal, "You've been analyzing the intelligence reports from Grizmallt, of course."

Isard's eyes narrowed and she lifted her chin, "Of course. Your thoughts, Advisor?"

Dangor leaned back and steepled his fingers, "Vader will not destroy Imperial Center, Director Isard. Of that, I am certain."

Isard rose suddenly and stalked rapidly toward the window, her rigid movements betraying her agitation. With her face turned toward the transparisteel window, she spoke quickly, "You cannot be certain of that, Dangor. Vader is not prone to ... to logical thought. He has the Death Star ..."

She turned suddenly, "It is possible, of course, that someone is posing as Vader. He has been missing, and presumed dead, for some time. Perhaps someone else..."

"No," Dangor interrupted without hesitation, "I have analyzed our spies transmissions from the Death Star. There is no doubt this is indeed Vader. His disappearance no doubt was part of a plan, a successful one, to destroy Palpatine and take over the galaxy. Which indicates more subtlety in the man than I might have expected."

She turned now, her eyes bright with worry, "He could destroy us all. Grizmallt is so close that by the time we receive intelligence that the Death Star was in hyperspace, it could be on its way here and we would have no time to evacuate our government. We must leave!"

Dangor considered her thoughtfully. A brilliant woman, Ysanne Isard, but prone to sudden decisions. This was, at times, a useful trait. But at this point, he rather thought not.

"I believe," Dangor said soothingly, "that if Vader planned to destroy to Imperial Center, he would have brought the Death Star here immediately."

"Then why Grizmallt! It is Inner Core, close to Imperial Center!"

"I am certain he does intend to take Imperial Center, but through more conventional means. If he takes other Core worlds, he can control the trade routes. He could, bluntly, starve this world into submission."

Isard lifted a slender hand to her face and groaned softly, before dropping it and gazing directly at him, "I welcome your suggestions, Dangor."

"I believe ..." he began, then stopped when Isard's com began beeping irritatingly.

She stabbed it with an angry finger, "I gave orders not to be disturbed!"

"My apologies," the filtered voice responded, "but we have a high priority signal from an individual claiming to be Admiral Thrawn. The codes match, Director."

The woman's eyes flew to her advisor's, even as her eyebrow raised.

Dangor nodded firmly.

"Very well," she said coldly, "open transmission."

She turned now toward a large screen which lowered elegantly from the ceiling. It lit up to display the image of Admiral Thrawn, dressed in an elegant and ridiculously clean white uniform.

Isard rose to her feet, both surprised and slightly intimidated. She didn't know as much as she wanted about Thrawn, but that he was brilliant was inarguable. Only a brilliant alien could have risen so far in Palpatine's xenophobic government.

"Admiral Thrawn," she said coolly, "this is an unexpected pleasure."

"I feel certain, Director Isard, that you have many demands on your time, as do I. Therefore, let us dispense with the pleasantries. Darth Vader and the Death Star have taken Grizmallt, which is too close for comfort to Imperial Center. It is imperative that he not take Imperial Center, else the galaxy is his. I suggest an alliance between my fleet and yours to repel this great threat to the stability of the galaxy."

Dangor spoke now, rather sarcastically, "I assume you have some kind of plan for keeping the most powerful Force user in the galaxy, in control of the most powerful weapon the galaxy has ever seen, from taking control of the Empire to which he is the obvious heir?"

"Of course I do," Thrawn responded calmly.

Isard now stepped forward, her face suspicious, "And why would you choose to stand with me against Lord Vader, Admiral Thrawn? You served Emperor Palpatine, also a Force user, most loyally."

The Chiss narrowed his eyes, "Darth Vader is a menace, Director. He is violent, impulsive and prone to rages, and certainly not the man who should control this great Empire which our mutual master created. The sooner he is taken down, the sooner he is destroyed, the better for the Empire and for all its people. He is not worthy to be Emperor."

There was a long pause, and then Isard nodded, "Very well, Thrawn. Come to Imperial Center as soon as possible. We will talk."

The Chiss's eyebrows rose slightly, "I have your pledge of safety, Director Isard? If harm comes to me, I assure you that my fleet will move against yours."

"You have my word, Admiral," Isard stated firmly.

The Chiss nodded, and the transmission went dead.

"Not that my word has much value," she added sarcastically.

/-

 _Thrawn's office_

 _The Chimarea,_

 _In orbit around Rodia_

"It's good to know your honest opinion of me," Anakin stated dryly as Thrawn turned away from the blank holoscreen.

"Hyperbole has it political place, Lord Vader," Thrawn stated coolly.

"Please, Admiral, you are intelligent enough to address me by my proper name when it is safe to do so."

"As you wish, Skywalker," the Chiss said absently, turning to a holoscreen. "The truth is that I find you far more palatable and, indeed, intelligent, since you abandoned your more esoteric Sith Lord behaviors."

Anakin chuckled aloud at this backhanded semi-compliment, "At any rate, are you pleased with your initial contact with Isard?"

Thrawn nodded even as he looked out the transparisteel window into the glittering stars of deep space, "She is treacherous and devious, and yes, I am pleased indeed."

/

 _Agricultural station_

 _Nystao (capitol of Honoghr)_

 _Honoghr_

Ensign Mort glanced around the building before focusing on the grass quietly growing in the dish in front of him.

"Can you feel it?" Kenobi asked softly.

Mort nodded, "Yes, there is something ... wrong with it. Alien. Dark. The grass in the other dish feels ... cleaner somehow."

Kenobi nodded, "The Jedi Agri-Corps was a truly noble organization, its members dedicated to just this kind of problem, Mort. Anakin tells me that this hybrid kholm-grass, which you sense as dark, is designed to wipe out all other vegetation on this planet, and it has largely succeeded. Your task, if you choose to accept it, is to work with both the Imperial agri-engineers and the Noghri to create a new grass which will both wipe out the hybrid and promote growth of healthy vegetation for the planet of Honoghr."

The ensign's rather lugubrious face drooped slightly, "I've only had a little training from you and ... uh ... Luke, General Kenobi. It seems unlikely I can help."

"More to the point," Ahsoka Tano said irascibly as she leaned against a wall, clearly bored, "why would you want to? Yes, a noble task, no doubt, but boring. Luke says you have substantial Force gifts, Mort. Don't you want to develop them, to become a conventional Jedi? We could use you."

Mort actually paled slightly, "Madame Tano ..."

"Please, call me Ahsoka."

"Ahsoka ..." Mort hesitated, then plunged ahead, "I'm not a brave man. I don't want to have people shooting at me, I don't want to be waving those laser swords around wondering if I'll take off someone else's limb, or my own! The best memories of my life are of visiting my grandparents' farm where they raised nerfs and grain. I still remember that powerful aroma and it just brings me back. This is what I was meant for, I just know it. This is where I belong."

Ahsoka looked astonished, "You _like_ the smell of nerfs?"

Kenobi chuckled and placed a fatherly arm around the younger man, "Be at peace, Ensign Mort. We all have different gifts. If you can bring partial healing to this land, you will have done a noble thing. And I sense tremendous ability in you. I believe you are, indeed, where you belong."

/-

 _Landing Pad #1_

 _Imperial Palace_

 _Imperial City_

 _Imperial Center_

 _One week later_

The shuttle landed and the ramp lowered.

Six stormtroopers descended.

Behind them walked Admiral Thrawn, head alert, with a short cloaked figure at his side.

He stepped forward boldly to meet Director Ysanne Isard, who was dressed in an elaborate synthsilk robe with all the colors of the rainbow. At her side stood Ars Dangor, dressed in unremitting black, and on both sides of her were numerous troopers.

"Director Isard," Thrawn said with a slightly mocking bow.

"Soon to be Empress Isard," the woman replied with head held high, "and you will be attending the ceremony, Admiral Thrawn, as a loyal and enthusiastic subject in my new regime."

A brief look of surprise crossed Thrawn's features before his face grew calm again, "That is thoroughly ... presumptuous of you, Director. I gave no such pledge to you, nor do I intend to give it. This is a meeting to discuss a possible alliance, not support for your ascension to Empress."

"You will join me, or die, Admiral," she said glacially, and gestured at her troopers, "Destroy all of them but Thrawn. Don't injure him mortally."

Within a second, the troopers began firing bolts at the startled group.

Thrawn reached for his blaster even as he dove out of the way of one of his own guards, who fell after being hit.

He fired toward Isard, who had taken shelter behind a conveniently located pillar where she was being guarded by yet more troopers. The Grand Admiral muttered with irritation, then froze in very momentary surprise.

Two of his troopers, one tall, one medium height, had discarded their helmets to show the familiar faces of Anakin and Luke Skywalker.

But the bewildering factor was that his companion Leia Organa, all 1.5 meters of her, had cast off her cloak, lit a purple lightsaber, and was now deflecting oncoming bolts with incredible agility and ability. She weaved backwards and forwards in front of Thrawn, protecting him, even as the Skywalkers stormed forward.

Anakin cut through a random pillar and threw it against a door, preventing additional troopers from entering the landing bay even as Luke cut down multiple troopers and threw others against the walls.

Within a minute, the troopers were down – dead, dismembered, unconscious, or some combination thereof – and Ysanne Isard and Ars Dangor were standing, surrounded, their faces pale, their mouths slack with wonder.

"Well, that was quite stupid, Director," Leia Organa said dryly, even as she gestured to the blaster that lay at Isard's feet. It leaped into her hand.

"So, Admiral," Anakin chimed in, "Did that go _entirely_ as planned?"

Thrawn's eyes were on Leia Organa.

"No," he admitted, "Isard was bolder, and more impetuous, than I expected. I thank you, Princess, for your protection. I owe you, if not my life, my well being, and possibly my liberty at least."

She shrugged, slightly, "I protect my allies, Thrawn, even ones that I don't entirely trust."

He stared at her, puzzled, even as Luke Skywalker stepped forward with a slight smile, "What's with the purple lightsaber, Leia?"

"I like it more than green or blue, so I made it last week with Father's help. He has quite a store of crystals ..."

Thrawn's furrowed brow smoothed even as his eyes widened, "Siblings! Remarkable."

"Well, that rancor is out of the bag now," Luke said cheerfully, "which is convenient because it was getting to be a bore to keep it secret. We're twins, actually. So what do we do with Isard and Dangor?"

"Oh, I have a few ideas," Anakin responded with a rather feral grin.

 _Author Note: Next chapter will be the last chapter, I think. Thanks again for those of you reading and reviewing, and thanks to my wonderful husband who is editing._


	19. Chapter 19

_Throne Room_

 _Imperial Palace_

 _Imperial City_

 _Imperial Center_

 _6 hours later_

 _"I hate this place,"_ Anakin thought moodily. The Emperor's Throne Room in Imperial City reminded him of darkness, and sorrow, and rage, and cruelty, and Force Lightning ...

 _"I know, darling,"_ the Senator commented back, raising his spirits. She didn't talk to him that often anymore.

"So what are we looking for, exactly?" Luke asked curiously.

Thrawn stood before the Emperor's throne, his brow furrowed, "This room was the nerve and brain center, so to speak, of the Empire; we would do well to hack pertinent codes and search for hidden data cylinders."

"R2?" Luke asked.

The small astromech, whose slicing skills would have been legendary if they'd been widely known, rolled forward and plugged himself into a data port on the Throne itself.

"Prince Xizor of Black Sun took over my palace," Anakin commented irritably, "which frankly annoys me. Can I chase him out? If so, we can regroup there when we're done here."

Luke was standing at one of the transparisteel windows which overlooked Imperial City, "So where is your palace?"

Anakin walked next to him and pointed, "There."

Luke made a huffing noise, "That tall, black one with the peculiar needle spires? I'd say Xizor is welcome to it. It doesn't look ... homelike."

"Well, it wasn't 'homelike,' of course," his father returned a trifle irascibly, "but it is at least free entirely of sand. I have ... had ... a host of mouse droids who spent their days sweeping the place of sand. Who knows what Xizor has done? The lizard loves water, so he may have entire rooms filled with heated pools for all I know."

"There are so many people," Luke commented as his head tilted toward the ground. "It's hard to believe."

"A city so huge it covers a planet," Thrawn agreed, joining Luke. "With as many sentients living below the surface as above. The political activity on this planet alone will be a challenge to manage."

"At least," Leia Organa said, striding into the Throne Room suddenly, "we've taken over Imperial Center without open battle and limited bloodshed. Your idea was an excellent one, Admiral Thrawn."

"And how was your meeting with Ysanne Isard?" the Admiral asked curiously.

The girl's smile eerily mirrored her father's of a few hours ago.

"It went well. She ... she's more impulsive than I suspected. And so angry she told me quite a bit. I do suggest we transfer her to either the _Chimaera_ or the Death Star, when they arrive, as she has many allies here. I doubt that many would be foolish enough to attempt to rescue her, but she'd be safer off planet. But yes, Father, I believe that it will be worth my while to visit her frequently as she seems all too ready to yell at me, and reveal intel in the process."

"Just be careful," Anakin cautioned her, his eyes concerned. "An angry woman may well throw caution to the winds and attack you."

Leia's brow furrowed, and then she nodded, "You're right, of course. I'll be on my guard."

The Senator spoke again, " _Well, there's one profound difference between you and your daughter, Anakin._ "

" _Which is?"_

 _"She listens to warnings. At her age, you_ _would have been quite disdainful of one such as Isard. I was always the more cautious one in our marriage."_

 _"This from the woman who suggested we quadruple-handedly rescue Obi-Wan from Count Dooku and hordes on Geonosis?"_

 _"Ok, that was a bit reckless. But we couldn't just leave the poor man to be eaten by nexu!"_

 _"_ We _were nearly eaten by nexu!"_

 _"I know. Exciting times, my dear, exciting times."_

"So Admiral Thrawn, do you think the next leader of the Empire should rule from this palace?" Leia asked suddenly, her eyes intent.

The Chiss raised his right eyebrow, then looked around thoughtfully.

"That will, of course, be a decision made by your father," he responded courteously, "but in my view, no. There are ... symbolic aspects to this place, some of which would be positive, but in my view the negatives outweigh the positives. The overarching image of Emperor Palpatine, especially of late, was of a hard fisted, despotic, increasingly irrational ruler, one who ..."

Anakin interrupted, "Why do you say it is my decision?"

Thrawn looked at him like he was an idiot, "Because, Lord Vader, or Anakin Skywalker, if you wish, you are the obvious choice to be the next Emperor."

Anakin, Luke, and Leia exchanged a quick glance, and Anakin gave a Force nod to his daughter.

She took a deep breath, "On the contrary, Admiral Thrawn, we believe that you are best suited to be crowned the new Emperor of the galaxy."

She hid a smile, as for the first time in their acquaintance, Admiral Thrawn looked completely flummoxed.

"What?!"

/-

 _Sublevel B3_

 _Vader's (or Xizor's) Palace_

 _Imperial City_

 _Imperial Center_

 _2 days later_

Leia stepped through the door and stopped.

This. Was. Crazy!

"Leia!"

She set aside her disbelief in her joy at seeing her mother again. In a moment, she was in Breha's arms.

"Oh Leia, it has been far too long!" Breha said, her slender hands cupping her daughter's face.

Tears started in her daughter's eyes.

"Far too long," Leia agreed fervently. She glanced around and then grinned broadly as her father Bail broke the surface of the large, artificial lake which was in the center of Sublevel B3 of her biological father's palace.

"This is insane," she said aloud.

Bail sputtered slightly and swam to the edge of the pool. He smoothly pulled himself onto the artificial beach and grabbed a towel from a beach chair. He quickly rubbed himself down, then stepped forward to give his beloved daughter a hug.

"Yes, it was a shock at first," the Viceroy said with a twinkle in his eye, "But I'm quite appreciative of it now."

"Why is the water slightly purple?" Leia inquired dubiously.

Breha shrugged, "Some kind of added compound which is good for Falleen skin, apparently, but it is harmless for humans."

Leia tapped the sand on the 'beach' with one uncertain foot, "There is sand everywhere. Fa- Anakin is going to have a fit about that."

She blushed and looked uncomfortable at her slip, and Bail, as usual, understood instantly.

"It's all right, Leia," he said gently and tenderly. "You are blessed to have not one but two loyal fathers. Your mother and I could not be happier that you and your father and brother have melded into a successful family after a challenging start."

Leia smiled a little tremulously, and hugged him hard, "You'll always be my Papa. But yes, I ... love Anakin as well."

Breha patted her daughter on the back and then gestured toward the water, "Are you ready for a swim?"

Leia looked hopeful, "I'd love to, but it's not like I have a bathing outfit ..."

"This way, my love," the older woman said with a chuckle, "Xizor apparently hosted a great many females of a variety of species, and we'll find something that fits you."

/-

 _Vader's (Anakin Skywalker's) Private Quarters_

 _Vader's Palace_

 _Imperial City_

 _Imperial Center_

"So where is Xizor?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked as he settled onto a surprisingly comfortable chair.

"Locked up," Anakin said, scowling. "Look at this furniture. Riots of green and blue and even chartreuse. Disgusting."

He looked now at his old master and pulled his attention away from the dubious decorating, "R2D2 hacked files showing that Xizor has been plotting to wrest control from Isard for some time. Of course, he isn't the only one, but he had plans to decimate a substantial portion of Imperial Center's population in the process. So we threw him in the clink for at least a season. We'll see ..."

"He is not a trustworthy individual," Kenobi said gravely, lifting a glass of meelpop melon juice to his lips and drinking with relish.

Anakin nodded and dropped casually onto a nearby couch, "Whatever you're drinking looks disgusting, Obi-Wan, like swamp water ... just saying. No, Xizor isn't trustworthy. We've got quite a cadre of individuals to execute, or put on trial, or maroon on random planets: Isard, Tarkin, Xizor, Dangor. #187 on the list of vital things to do."

Kenobi smiled gently, "We will prevail, Anakin, in time. I have no doubt of that. You have already done more than any of us dreamed."

His former padawan's eyes watered slightly, "Only because of Padme and the twins, I assure you, Obi-Wan."

Another nod, and then Kenobi asked casually, "What did Thrawn think about becoming Emperor?"

A chuckle now.

"He was stunned that we would consider him. But Leia believes, and I concur, that he will be a good Emperor. The fact that he is non-human should bring a rapid shift away from the xenophobia of the Empire. And while he can be ruthless, he is not ... not ..."

"Needlessly cruel?" Kenobi asked, "I agree. He is a complex individual with layers upon layers of plans, but I trust him to look out for the greater good of the galaxy instead of his own self-interest. And you say he is open to the reconvening of the Senate?"

"Yes," Anakin agreed, leaning his head against the couch back. It was tall, at least, and surprisingly comfortable. "We will insist on a shift toward democracy, but if half of what Thrawn tells us about the Far Outsiders and Ssi-Ruuk is true, we'll need a very strong fleet presence, especially in the Outer Rim. And we'll need a leader with the brilliance of Thrawn. You and I have our strengths, but we're not tactical geniuses – or at least not to the level that the Chiss is."

"I agree, old friend," Kenobi said gravely. He stood up now and walked to the window, looking out over the city, lit up with lights like stars.

"We are in a new era," he continued softly, "the Jedi have fallen, and the Order will never be the same. But your children are a new hope for the galaxy – not just because of their Force Sensitivity, but because they have been raised in an environment unheard of for the Jedi of the last few centuries. And that, Anakin, is a very good thing."

/-

 _Dex's Diner_

"This is so good!" Luke said enthusiastically, sucking down the last drops of his Photon Fizzle.

A server droid was at his side in a moment, with another drink at the ready.

"Oh, thanks, ah, FLO!" Luke said, with a quick glance at her digital name.

"My pleasure, kind sir," she replied.

"Don't drink so much that you spend the night in the refresher," his aunt Beru said with a fond smile.

Luke looked embarrassed, then laughed, "Even though it's been some time since I left Tatooine, I still find myself drinking to excess at times, just because I can."

Owen Lars nodded even as he took a bite of his Shawda club sandwich.

He chewed, swallowed, and then looked intently at his nephew, "So, Luke, your aunt and I have two things we need to tell you."

Luke looked up fondly, "I suspected there was more to this meal than just catching up with old times."

Owen nodded again, then said carefully, "Your aunt and I have decided to move back to Tatooine."

Luke froze, then his eyes widened in horror, "What?!"

"We're going back home, my love," Beru said gently, putting out both hands to touch her nephew's.

She smiled now, teasing, "I know it isn't your favorite place, but Owen misses his moisture 'vaporators."

"How could anyone, _anyone,_ miss a moisture 'vaporator?" Luke demanded incredulously. "They are cranky and annoying and ..."

"It is our home, Luke," Beru interrupted.

Her nephew stared at her, then his eyes dropped, "I ... suppose I can understand that. Home is important, but ..."

Here he lifted his gaze and smiled, ruefully, "It's like all hyperspace lanes lead back to Tatooine. I escaped Hutt slavery and Tatooine when I was 14, then Father found me and we went back to rescue Biggs and take down the Hutt. Then we found Leia, and went back to Tatooine to hide out for awhile. And now you are going back and I have to admit that I'm worried for you both. It isn't a very safe place to live, when all is said and done."

Owen chuckled aloud now, "Well, Luke, last time I checked, my step-brother and nephew are both very important people in the galactic government. We've talked to Anakin already. Your father took down the Hutt a few years ago and much has changed politically and economically on Tatooine since then."

"There are good people on Tatooine," Beru continued, earnestly, "Who just need some resources and leadership to bring substantial change. Anakin really wants to stamp out the slave trade."

"Yes, that needs to be done," Luke agreed, and sighed, "I'll miss you both. I'll visit, I promise, but my position is at my father's side at least for now. And truthfully, the thought of all that sand makes disgusted shivers run up and down my spine.

"We know," Owen said, with an amused glance at his wife, "both you and Anakin whine about sand early and often."

"Jedi don't whine," Luke said firmly, then grinned. "Well, Jedi shouldn't whine. So what's the other thing you wanted to tell me about?"

A flare of excitement raced across Beru's usually calm face.

"I'm pregnant, Luke. You are going to have a baby cousin, a girl, in about 6 months."

/-

 _The Mon Calamari ship_ Liberty

 _In Orbit around Bakura_

 _1 year later_

"Yes, your Highness," Anakin said into the holocam, "we drove back the Ssi-Ruuk, though with significant losses. We will need to bolster our fleet in this region of space as quickly as possible."

"Thank you, Knight Skywalker," Thrawn replied across the parsecs. The Emperor of the known galaxy still wore a relatively simple white uniform, though he donned a modest crown for special occasions.

"I will review your data as quickly as possible," the Chiss continued, looking off screen. "For now, you are ordered to report to med bay and deal with your injuries as quickly as possible."

Anakin grimaced slightly, "It's nothing, your Highness, I assure you."

It _was_ nothing, compared to the injuries that had placed him in the suit for nearly 20 years.

Thrawn's eyebrow lifted a few millimeters, "Unlike my predecessor, Skywalker, I keep my troops in as excellent health as possible. That is an order."

Anakin sighed and shot a quick glance at his burned right arm, damaged when his ship had caught fire above Bakura. He had been fortunate to land with relatively little damage.

"As you wish, sir," he agreed.

Thrawn's expression relaxed slightly, "I appreciate your work, Skywalker. Without you and Kenobi, I fear the Ssi-Ruuk would have taken Bakura."

"Leia helped a lot," Anakin said firmly. "Not only is she an accomplished Force sensitive, she's a politician. She managed to forge a rather uneasy alliance with the local leaders of Bakura."

"Indeed, I am grateful to her as well. Thrawn out."

The door slid open and Kenobi entered, with a med droid in tow.

"Medical treatment _now,_ Anakin," he said firmly.

"Fine," Anakin said slightly irritably, and carefully began removing his uniform.

"Is there any word from Luke?" he asked, partially to distract himself from the pain in his arm and, yes, side. A longer glance at his injury was rather discouraging. He had been more seriously injured than he thought.

Kenobi frowned in concern even as he spoke, "Indeed, Leia was just in contact with him. Luke is on Honoghr, working with Knight Mort on the agricultural project there. He's also helping with the Clone Troopers who have settled there. The Lars are there for an impromptu visit as well, with the baby, and Owen is working with the agricultural workers. The Organas are of course on Coruscant ..."

As Kenobi updated his old padawan, then enemy, then friend, Anakin Skywalker leaned back against the bed and allowed himself to relax.

His work was not done, and likely never would be done. But his children were happy and productive, his former master dead, and the galaxy healthier than it had been in centuries.

He was content.

 _The End_


End file.
